


Light

by Chipper99, Hodgesicle



Series: Light & In The Dark [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-01-12 08:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 91,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18442814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chipper99/pseuds/Chipper99, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hodgesicle/pseuds/Hodgesicle
Summary: He could still remember his mother's calming voice when he was young, before he was sent to Ericsons. Awakening from nightmares with a startled cry, she would always be there to soothe him, to assure him that the dark was nothing to be afraid of. That monsters weren't real.So how could he sleep now, knowing that they are?Louis' perspective of The Final Season of The Walking Dead with a few changes and added scenes.





	1. Chapter 1

The early morning sunlight draped across his fingers as they glided across the keys. The movements came natural, years of practice helping guide them to the right place.

Not like there's much else for him to spend his time doing.

Well, not that everyone would agree with that statement...

"Come on, Louis. I'm not in the mood for this argument again!"

Aasim's stern words from mere hours ago echoed in his head. Another dispute about his "irresponsibility" when it came to the group's schedule.

"We went out hunting just yesterday, Aasim. Why do I have to go again? It's not exactly fair to give me double blocks of tasks..."

Aasim huffed at his response, irritation clear on his features as he crossed his arms.

"It doesn't matter what's fair. What DOES matter is that we need food. Mitch said there was barely anything in the fish traps yesterday"

"So?"

"So we can't always rely on the fish as our main source, we might be putting too much strain on the population."

He continued at Louis' questioning look

"We need to double our amount of hunting and scavenging, increase our chance of actually finding something"

"But why does that mean I have to go? I already had plans for this morning" Louis argued, the thought of the music room entering his mind

"Like what? Practicing the Piano? Again?" Aasim shot back, frustration lacing his words.

Louis could tell Aasim was losing his patience with him. Aasim just didn't get it. He just couldn't find the words to try and explain its importance to him.

The music room was his one safe haven. Back when all this started, when the dead began to roam, every night was a struggle.

It wasn't too bad during the day. Sure, trying to figure out how to survive in this new world was a constant nightmare, not one of them knowing how in the hell they were supposed to find food and gather water, all whilst avoiding the reaching, rotting hands of the walkers.

But with the day came to light, and with light, there was safety. The night?

He could still remember his mother's calming voice when he young, before he was sent to Ericsons. Awakening from nightmares with a startled cry, she would always be there to soothe him, to assure him that the dark was nothing to be afraid of. That monsters weren't real.

So how could he sleep now, knowing that they are?

On those nights when sleep just wouldn't find him, or when nightmares would keep their grip on him, he would simply wander the halls of the school, hoping not to wake anyone up.

It wouldn't be long before his feet would take him down into the music room, the moonlight reflecting off the polished piano's surface.

And throughout those nights, he would simply.... play. Absently, at first.  
Simply pressing random keys, enjoying the different sounds that the piano produced.

Not that the other kids appreciated the random notes that would fill the air, of course. Mitch helped to prove this statement with the crudely carved "You suck at playing" standing out from the side of the piano.

That didn't stop him. He continued playing, slowly but surely learning the different keys, spending his time going through the different "Piano for Beginners" books scattered around the school library.

He still remembers the first time he played a song the whole way to the end without any mistakes. He was so excited, he just couldn't help but run to his best friend and giddily tell him the news.

Like usual, he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts at the time to realize that Marlon was in the process of trying to plan the next hunting trip.

And yet, Marlon still took the time to congratulate him with a tired smile, promising to come down to the music room later that night to listen to him play.

Of course, he immediately messed the song up.

Aasims tired sigh interrupted his thoughts, shaking his head as he turned away from him

"I don't know why I bother. Go play your damn piano, I'll go ask Marlon or something"

Louis winced at the memory of Aasims harsh tone, his playing coming to a stop.

No. They would never understand.

The crashing of the gates outside caught his attention, panic swelling in his chest at the sound of shouting from outside as he hurried over to the window.

"Go get Ruby! We've got injured over here!" Marlon's panicked voice rang out from the courtyard.

Injured? Oh god. Oh no. Not again. Not someone else. Was it Aasim? He knew Aasim didn't agree with the safe zone, but surely he wouldn't just go past the safe  
zone? Not with Marlon there with him.

He didn't bother to get a closer look, guilt filling him from within as he raced outside to help. Why was he like this? Why couldn't he have just done as he was asked, then maybe Aasim wouldn't be hurt.

But it wasn't Aasim.

He felt his heart break just a little at the sight of the young boy in Marlons arms. God, he couldn't be older than five, maybe six. Sometimes he forgot that children would be born into this hellish world. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to experience this world from that age.

"Shit, is the kid okay?"

"Yeah, I think so" Marlon huffed, breaths coming heavy from exertion. "He's been in and out of consciousness. Not him I'm worried about though."

At Marlon's words, the boys eyes wearily opened, eyes confused and then panicked as he scanned his surroundings

"Clem?"

Clem?

Only then did he spot Aasim slowly coming through the gate, concentration on his face as he struggled with the person in his arms.

Jesus, she... Didn't look good.

Even from here, he could see the paleness of her skin. If it wasn't for the profusely bleeding wound on her head, he would think she was bit, or already dead.

"Could I get some help here?" Aasims exhausted words snapped him out of his thoughts, quickly rushing forward to their aid.

Aasim looked on thankfully as Louis placed his arms under the girl, lifting her from him.

"Thanks, man. Been carrying her for a while. You seen Ruby anywhere?"

Before he can answer, the doors to the dorms slam open, the red head rushing out at the sounds of their shouting.

Her gaze quickly lands on the girl, a solemn look flashing across her face at the sight of the wound on her head.

That wasn't a great sign

"Come on, get her inside. Best to dress that injury as quick as possible." Ruby instructs him with a firm nod, before turning back to the dorms.

He looks back at Marlon who repeats Ruby's firm nod, before looking down at the boy in his arms.

"Come on, let's go"

Ruby's opens the door to Minnie and Sophie's old room, the only spare room available to use. As gently as possible, he lays the girl down on one of the beds as Marlon lays the boy down on the other.

Silence fills the room as they watch Ruby work. She carefully cleans the wound, ensuring she doesn't inflict any further damage. She works quickly, winding a  
roll of gauze around the girls head and tying it off.

A sinking feeling fills his chest at the sight of the blood that immediately appears through the gauze.

Ruby purses her lips at the sight, reaching down to the girls neck to take her pulse.

"I'm not gonna lie to ya', it's not looking great. I'm not sure if she'll make it through the night..."

Marlon sighs, pushing himself off the bed frame he was leaning on, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared down at the young boy who had slipped back into sleep.

"I hate to say it, but I don't think the kid should be in the same room. If she doesn't make it..." Marlons words trail off, the suggestion obvious as his gaze lands on the tape sitting on the desk.

Louis frowns, uncertain of the idea.

"There's still a chance she can make it through the night, right? I'm sure she'd be panicked to see the kid missing and herself tied up." He voices his opinion,  
his eyes darting between everyone in the room

"I know" Ruby responds gently.  
"But we haven't got much of a choice. I'm gonna need ta' check the kid anyway, so best we have Tenn check up on her during the night, you know, in case her condition worsens. Best for his safety that she's tied up." 

Marlon leans over, picking up the boy. "Hey Louis, could you go tell Tenn? I'll put the kid in Tenn's room for now, since he'll be up all night. Well, as long as Violets OK with it."

Louis snorts at the idea. Violet, being happy to be bunked with a random kid? Then again, maybe she'll warm up to him, look after him like she did with Tenn.

"Yeah, sure thing man. Guess I'll see you later" He responds with one last fleeting glance at the girl in the bed, before turning to go back down the hall.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"WHERE IS SHE!? "

Louis startles, shooting up from his bed at the panicked yell he could hear from  
another room.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!?"

The kid must be awake. And he does not sound happy...

He darts out of the room, sprinting towards Violet and Tenn's room. Out of the corner of his vision, he sees Ruby exiting her room, quickly joining him.

"Hey, calm down! I'm sure she's fine, just-"

"WHERE IS SHE!?"

He slams open the door to find Violet looking down at the young boy, arms crossed with a worried yet irritated expression, whilst the boy stares up at her with anger in his features, but fear clear in his eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, calm down" He instructs gently, kneeling beside the boy who seems slightly calmed now that Louis is at eye level.

"Where is she?" The boy repeats as he looks sternly first at Violet, then back at Louis.

Louis mulls over his words, not wanting to upset the boy, but also not wanting to lie to him either.

"Listen" he begins, lowering his tone as gently as possible.  
"Your friend, she, uh, she's in pretty rough shape."

He continues quickly at the boys panicked expression

"She's got two of our best doctors looking after her now, OK?" Louis reassures him, smiling up at Ruby

"If anyone can help her, it's those two. But. We had to be careful. Keep you separated just in case she... She doesn't make it"

The boy stares at him, seemingly absorbing his words. He watches as different emotions pass across his face as he takes in the information.

"Can I see her?"

The words sounded so broken

Unsure, Louis glances up at Ruby, who gives the boy a soft, sad smile

"Sorry, little guy. It's best not to overcrowd her right now."

The boy looks down, his face twisted in disappointment and worry.

Louis gets an idea.

"Hey, I have an idea, little dude. You wanna hear me play some piano?"

"Oh god..." Violet mutters from behind him

"What's a piano?"

He didn't know what a piano was? Well now, this just won't do.

Louis smiles down at the young boy as he straightens back up

"Come on, I'll show you. I'm sure you'll love it"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis smiles at the look of wonder on the kids face as he plays. He can't remember the last time anyone watched him play with such amazement.

"GAH! You little motherfucker!"

Still playing, Louis quickly glances over at the sound of Ruby's pained cry. The kid looks panicked whilst Ruby is holding her hand to her chest, a clear bite mark visible.

Did... Did the kid bite her?

Ruby quickly leaves, rambling on about showing some respect.

He shakes his head, concentrating on playing as the boy turns back to him, seemingly still entranced by the music.

"Clem!"

The kids happy shout nearly causes him to stumble, but he's used to the other kids trying to distract him whilst playing.

"You're okay!" the kids voice warbles with relief

Looks like Tenn and Ruby's efforts weren't for nothing. A small smile escapes him at the happiness in the boys voice.

Should he say something, introduce himself? Maybe it's best he keeps playing. Got to keep up his reputation as the musician somehow.

He hears the girl sigh in relief, presumably as concerned for the safety of her boy as much as the boy was for her.

"I was afraid you were..."

"I'm okay" she interrupts fondly.

"And you know what you are?" she continues, amusement in her voice

"What?"

"Ticklish!"

Louis' smile grows bigger at the sounds of the boys giggles, amazed at how quick his mood had changed now he was reunited.

"But...AJ listen to me. That girl out there says you bit her" She states, her voice questioning, yet gentle.  
"Is that true?

Uh oh. Someone's in trouble...

"Answer me, AJ" comes the command after a brief pause

"I didn't mean to. She snuck up on me." AJ dejectedly answers.

"Still, no more bites"

"No more bites..."

Louis' fingers crash down on the last notes, making the ending clear.

Now or never

"You're not dead. That's good"

Smooth, Louis...

He shifts, turning himself to face the two.

Oh.

She was pretty.

Very pretty.

He noted how the color had returned to her skin as she glances up at him.

He gets his first glimpse of her eyes since she had arrived, stunned by their vibrancy. They were like honey, hazel yet infused with golden warmth.

Like light.

Like safety.

"Watched your kid for you" he informed her jovially, keeping a smile on his face.

"My names AJ"

His gaze slips down to the boy who looks up at him, unimpressed with being called a kid.

"Excuse me." he draws the words out, amused at the boys expression.  
"I watched AJ for you"

"Hope he didn't cause you any trouble" She steps closer to AJ, looking down at him with fondness yet exasperation.

"He was a bit of a handful. But, I got off light compared to what Ruby went through." Louis keeps the smile on his face in hopes not to offend the two.

"AJ doesn't like people coming up behind him" She informs him, bringing her hand up to rest at AJ's back.

"Don't ever do it."

The sternness of the boys words causes Louis to pause, reminding him of the anger he showed back at Violets room.

He brings the smile back to his face, hoping to get on the kids good side

"Loud and clear, little man" he assures him.  
"Thankfully, I was here to calm him down with my alluring music"

Louis turns, bringing his attention back to the piano in front of him.

Best to show by example, right?

He plays the first few notes of the song before remembering he didn't actually introduce himself.

"I'm Louis" he states, looking back at the girl standing to his side. 

"Clementine"

Ah, so that's what Clem stood for.

Maybe he should sing...

No, no he shouldn't. I'm sure she's heard that one too many times.

"Oh, yeah! Totally forgot." He begins, tone clearly indicating he had not forgotten.  
"Marlon left your bag in here somewhere"

Clementines eyes quickly scan the room, landing on the bag tucked away by a chair.

"Don't worry I got it"

She quickly walks over, briefly leaving his line of sight before returning, crouching by AJ as she shuffled through the bag.

Louis takes note of the knife she brandishes from the bag, giving it a quick look over before pocketing it.

He was more of a blunt melee man himself.

Her expression morphs into one of relief as she pulls out an old, raggedy looking baseball cap from within. AJ smiles at her as she places it back atop her head.

She continues to rummage through the bag whilst he continues to play, before finding what she had apparently been searching for.

She pulls a revolver out from the bag, and hands it over to AJ.

Wait. What.

This time he does stumble over the keys, the piano playing a harsh note

"Um.." he tries to begin, but Clementine simply continues to hand the gun over to AJ.

"Double um" He tried again, still failing to catch their attention

"Does he even know what that is?" He looks down at the pair, not even trying to hide his shock from the two

"It's dirty," AJ says, inspecting the gun

"Clean it" Clementine responds simply

"Maybe later. Back you go"

"Where it belongs"

Oh, come on now

"Dude. That can't be a good idea"

This catches their attention.

"That things bigger than him" he attempts to argue his point, amazed they don't find the situation as odd as he does

"Is it actually loaded?" he asks, already fearing the answer

"Yes" AJ replies bluntly

Not too sure what else he expected.

"Oh. Good"

Clementine stands, one hand on her hip as she looks down at AJ then back at Louis

"I'll guarantee he's a better shot than you"

Wow

"Hey!" he says bitterly

Knowing this conversation will go nowhere, he simply shakes his head with a smile, placing his hands back over the keys.

"You guys do your thing I guess."

The sound of music fills the room once more as he returns to the song.

"You don't you know any others?"

He immediately stops playing, turning back to her, an earlier thought returning to mind.

I mean, she's practically asking for it, right?

"Well, there is one... But you're armed" He responds, remembering the knife she had stored. He wasn't too sure if he was actually joking on that last part.

At her unimpressed look, he shakes his head and turns back to the piano.

"Oh, my darling. Oh, my darling... Oh my darling, Clementine"

AJ's sharp inhale could be heard over his singing, mouth agape as he looked at Louis, then back at Clementine to gauge her reaction.

"You are lost and gone forever..." he begins to trail, waiting for her reaction

But she says nothing, instead a smile slips onto her face as she steps closer to him.

"Dreadful sorry, Clementine" he finishes, craning his neck to observe her.

Not seeing any reason to stop, he finishes the rest of the song.

"Light she was and like a fairy,  
And her shoes were number nine,  
Herring boxes without topses,  
Sandals were for Clementine"

Finishing, he turns back to the two, making sure to give a wink to AJ.

AJ giggles in response and Louis can't help but feel proud he caused that.

"What do you think, AJ?" Clementine asks the boy fondly

The smile leaves AJ's face as he studies the piano.

"I don't know. It's loud"

"It is" she responds, her look urging him to continue

"Loud is bad"

Aw, damn. Guess that ruins any chances of him being friends with the little guy.

"Not always"

Her words bring him a sense of hope and a surge of confidence

"Come press this key" he instructs AJ, sliding over to give him room

But AJ looks unsure, stepping back slightly as he warily eyes the piano

"C'mon" he encourages him, not ready to give up just yet  
"This one right here"

"Go ahead AJ, press it" Clementine reassures him

Spurred by her words, AJ approaches the piano.

Louis watches as he presses the key, quickly recoiling his fingers at the sudden, sharp sound it produced. He seemed cautious, yet still intrigued, looking up to Louis for guidance.

"Now press this one" Louis continued, wanting to encourage him

AJ follows his command, pressing the next key

"And this one" he finishes, pointing at the last key

AJ is quicker to press the last key, apparently feeling more confident as he looked to Louis with a smile.

Louis couldn't even stop the smile he returned if wanted to, pleased to see he was able to make the young boy smile after a morning of distress.

"You're a natural." he tells him, still with a smile as he glances up to see Clementine looking at the two with fondness

"Hey!"

The illusion of peace is quickly ruined by Marlons shout as he appeared in the entrance to the room

"Have you seen Rosie?" he directs the question at Louis

Louis thinks back to this morning, trying to remember if he ever saw her roaming the halls

"Nope." he simply responds as he turns to Marlon, intrigued by why he needed her.

"Shit. We've got a bit of a situation out there" Marlon states to all three of them, then directing his next question to Clementine

"Um, hate to ask, you just coming to and all, but we could really use a hand. You up for taking out a few dead heads?"

Louis watches the calmness in her features melt away, determination setting in as she nods at Marlon. It's clear those two never had much time for moments of peace...

"You too, Louis" Marlon informs him with a stern tone, obviously not expecting him to volunteer.  
"Get your ass in gear"

Louis couldn't help but feel slightly hurt at the lack of trust. Marlon still had a point though. He HAD blown off his hunting shift yesterday after all.

Louis gave a dramatic sigh in response.

"Fine." he says as he stands, giving Clementine a helpless shrug as he saunters out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

"Rosie! Where the hell is she?"

Louis and Clementine approach side by side with AJ trailing slightly behind as Marlon looks around the courtyard of the school, upset at being unable to find his trusted friend.

Upon hearing their approaching footsteps, Marlon turns to the three.

"You give her her weapon back?" Marlon asks Louis, looking to see if she had it on her.

Louis doesn't even bother to answer as he hears the sound of steel on cloth and sees Clementine had pulled out her knife.

He wasn't going to lie, seeing her with it does make him feel slightly nervous...

"Good, we're gonna need you to put it to use. We've got a hunting party out there trying to get back inside. They're gonna need our help to clear the way."

Louis looks out beyond the gate, quickly assessing the number of walkers roaming around. There was certainly a large amount, enough that made him worry. There hadn't been this many in a while.

"Seems to be a few more than usual these last couple days." Marlon notes out loud, also turning to observe the walkers nearby.

"It's almost like something drew their attention. Something like... I don't know... An explosion. Or a car crash." Violet barely turns from her position to throw a look at Clementine behind her.

Oh, boy.

"Vi..." Marlon attempts to calm the riled girl down

"What?"

Louis crosses his arms, giving Violet an unimpressed look. Violet had always been slightly withdrawn, but ever since... Ever since Minnie and Sophie...

He shakes his head, not wanting to lead his thoughts down this path. It never goes anywhere good.

"There's got to be some explanation to this" Violet continues sarcastically

"I don't think we've met. I'm Clementine"

At least someone is trying to make nice.

"Yeah, I know. Your kid won't stop talking about you"

Louis internally winces, knowing it's just not like Violet to warm up to strangers. Looks like it's up to him.

He clears his throat

"Hello, Clementine. I'm Violet. Nice to meet you." he smiles over at Clementine who simply stands, arms crossed with an irritated look at Violet.

He then looks over to Violet, who looks similarly unimpressed with his attempts

"What he said."

He tried.

Truth be told, he's been worried about Violet for a while. She's had no one to properly talk to for nearly a year. Sure, he's always offered himself for her to talk to, but he could tell that his slightly over joyous personality irritated her sometimes.

Like the music room, Violet had her safe haven. But for her, it wasn't a room. It was a person. And when Minnie died, Violet just... Shut down. Contact was kept to a minimum, except for Tenn of course. They helped share their grief, both able to mourn over those they had lost.

But maybe Clementine could change that. Someone else, someone new for her to talk to, maybe open up to. So he had to try. For Violet.

"Alright, boys and girls. They're starting to fill in." Willy's voice interrupts his thoughts, his attention brought back to the problem at hand.

"Come on" Violet finally snapped, wanting to get out of the situation as she pushed the gate open and stepping out

"Be careful out there." Marlon tells Clementine, drawing an arrow out of his quiver as he jogged to join Violet.

Before Clementine could move forward to help, Louis quickly slid in front of her.

"Don't mind Violet. She uh... Grows on you. I promise" he assured her, the leather of his coat creaking as he brought his weapon up to rest on his shoulder.

Clementine jumps at the sight of the weapon, eyeing it curiously. He feels a rush of excitement at being able to show off his creation.

"Oh, this? It's a chair leg. I call it 'Chairles'."

He flashes her one last smile with a raised eyebrow as he turns away to join the others.

It doesn't take long for the first walker to notice him, lumbering over with a hungry groan.

Rolling his shoulders, he grips Chairles with both hands, swinging the weapon back and lining up the shot before striking the walkers head with a satisfying whack.

When this whole thing started, killing walkers was a struggle. He was still young, and he just couldn't help but see the person within. It just didn't feel right.

He learned quickly that that kind of thinking wouldn't work. It didn't take long for the food stored within the school to run out, and so Ms. Martin reluctantly decided they would have to go outside the safety of the school, hoping to find help somehow.

It had happened so quickly. One second Justin was next to him, angrily instructing him to "shut his damn mouth" as Louis threw out joke after joke after joke. The next, Justin was on the floor, rotten hands digging into his stomach in search of fresh meat, striking gold as they grasped and pulled at the intestines within.

It was then he knew. They weren't people. People couldn't just... do that. It was us or them. And that was the end of it.

"Clem! Monster!" AJ's panicked shout came from the gate.

Louis whirled around, scanning the trees for any sign of her to make sure she's not in trouble.

He's greeted by the sight of a determined-looking Clementine fiercely kicking a walker to the ground, quickly plunging her knife down into his head with a sickening squelch and crack.

Oh, come on. It just wasn't fair she was endlessly beautiful AND a complete badass.

Well, she could CLEARLY already see his dashingly good looks, now he just needed to prove he could handle himself.

"Woah! Nice one, Clementine" he shouts in her direction.

She looks up at him, the compliment catching her attention.

"Could use some _finesse_ though. Watch and learn" he teases her, moving closer to a walker that was stumbling slightly away.

"Hey! Over Here! Follow me!"

The walker, noticing his shouts, begins to amble towards him at a steady pace, jaw chattering in excitement.

Before it can get too close, he brandished his own knife, hastily slicing the rope nestled by the tree next to him.

The impact of the boulder blows a waft of walker smelling air into his face, listening to the cracking of the creature's bones before it falls silent.

Hell yeah

"And _that's_ how you school a walker" he declares triumphantly at Clementine, his knife and Chairles still in hand.

"There's a whole bunch of traps laying around this area for this asshats" He adds whilst gesturing to the various boulders and logs hidden in the area. "They're all marked, so keep a lookout!"

Louis watches as she studies the traps, deciding whether to use them. He can only hope he feels impressed by them and his actions. She may just prefer her own method after all.

There isn't enough time to ponder such things, so he returns to the task at hand, taking delight at the walkers that fall one by one at his hand. Not that it stops him from peeking over at her from time to time.

A warm sense of pride settles in his chest as he hears the whoosh of a log fly through the air, accompanied by the sudden groan of an impaled walker.

She used his traps!

Clementine goes back and forth, using a mixture of methods. She darts around the area, catching the attention of walkers and forcing them into a group. Then, she unleashes a trap onto the group, effectively taking out large numbers at once. Any stragglers left behind are quickly disposed of by a swift kick and a knife to the head.

Now _that_ is what he would call finesse.

The flickering of a torch catches his attention, a whir of movement too fast to be walkers.

Mitch, Aasim, and Brody come into sight, a large hare laying atop Brody's shoulders.

"Nice timing, we're not gonna be able to hold them off much longer" Violet remarks from beside Clementine.

"No kidding, where'd all these walkers come through" Brody expresses her disbelief, the sudden increase in numbers creating an increased feeling of anxiety.

"We can talk when we're inside the gates, keep an eye out for stragglers" Marlon warns the group, hastily loading another arrow.

Following his best friend, he finds himself near the gates, dispatching the few walkers that had wandered a bit too close to the school. From behind him, he can hear Violet's voice.

"You know, you're not half bad. Considering the circumstances and all..."

Her words nearly make him drop Chairles. That, from Violet, is as close to a "Hey, I'm sorry for acting that way earlier, I actually really like you and want to get to know you" as she could ever say.

"Thanks"

The word seems blunt, yet he can hear the gratitude in it. Louis can't help but feel appreciative of Clementine, still trying to make friends with Violet.

And apparently succeeding.

The groans of the dead around him inform him he still has a job to do, and so he gets back to the task at hand.

"That walker came out of nowhere..."

Aasims voice sounds sheepish as he awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, trying his best to avoid eye contact with Clementine.

Leave it to Aasim to embarrass himself on first introductions.

Louis raises a hand to his cheek at the slight tickle he felt, looking down at disgust at the piece of walker that had stuck to his face.

Gross.

"All right, funs over. Let's get inside--I'm fuckin' starving" Marlon’s voice booms, already making his way towards the gates.

"You're not the only one" Clementine mutters quietly to herself, not knowing that Louis had caught it.

As they walk away, he can't help but ponder over her. How long must she have been out there? He hasn't seen her eat yet, so when was the last time she or the kid had a meal? A few days? A week? More.

Louis frowns at the thought. No one should have to go that long without food.

Louis' thoughts continue to plague him, not paying attention to the argument about the safe zone until he hears Marlon forcefully push Aasim out of the way with an agitated "I said later, dammit"

This wasn't exactly the first time they had this argument. It was a constant back and forth with the two of them, and always with the same outcome. Marlon would get too angry and would either have to walk away or have someone step in to calm him down. This privilege usually fell down to him.

Still, they hadn't had the argument in a while. Noting Clementine's worried glances, he decides to quickly grab her attention. And what better way to do that than with a compliment and some teasing?

"Still standing I see" he observes as she turns her attention towards him to indicate she's listening.

"I'd call that a B-plus performance there, Vi. You've done better"

Violet instinctively raises her middle finger at him with a curt "Fuck off"

Seems on par.

Time to work his charm.

Ever the dramatic, he places his hand over his heart with a wounded expression, then faces Clementine.

"B-minus then. Now Clem here? That was a solid A. A-plus even"

He can feel Violet's glare from where he's standing, so he gives her a playful nudge

"Don't be jealous Vi. Be better"

"You did a good job out there too, Louis" Clementine responded in kind.

Wait.

Did she.

It worked!

What's he talking about, of course it worked.

"You're too kind. And accurate."

Violets glare seemed to be reaching new levels as she glanced between the two of them, realizing what was happening.

"You're falling right into his trap you know" she dejectedly warns Clementine.

"Trap Schmap, I'm just speaking the God's honest." He shoots back in a teasing manner

"So am I." Violet returns, bringing the conversation to an end as they approach the school gates.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gates squeak shut behind him as he strolls over to the chef, standing beside a heavy elevated pot over a crackling fire.

Omar is already busy preparing the meal, the hare Brody caught already simmering away.

"Everything go alright out there?" Omars soothing tones project to him.

"Yep, as well as expected. Man, you should have seen! Clementines a bad ass." he informs him with a grin on his face, the chef raising his eyebrow at the statement.

"So she can handle herself then? What about the kid?" Omar's eyes slide over to the two as Marlon approaches from behind.

"Come on, y'all. Foods nearly-" Marlon stops with a pained grunt as AJ forces his elbow back.

Both Louis and Omar wince in sympathy at the sight as Marlon doubles over in pain, taking shaky breaths to recover.

That is not a place that should be hit

"Guess there's your answer" Louis replies, half laughing-half wincing.

After attempting to apologize and explain on behalf of her boy, Louis smiles fondly as Clementine quickly makes her way over to said boy, hearing her gently reprimand AJ for his actions.

How she manages to teach this kid good social manners in this kind of a world, he'll never know.

Still crouched in pain, Marlon makes his way over the two.

"Yeah, the kid did say once never to come up behind him" Louis says with a teasing grin.

"Thanks for the heads up" Marlon grumbled miserably, finally straightening himself back up.

"So..." Marlon began "What do you think of them?"

"Well, I haven't exactly got much knowledge on the two." Omar tells him "But, Louis sure has put forward his thoughts"

Louis feels the slight blush burning in his cheeks as his best friend turns to him with a knowing look.

"Oh, is that so?"

Dammit, he shouldn't have teased him.

He gives an awkward cough before beginning

"Look, all I'm saying is that they seem capable. I mean, you saw her out there, right? She took care of those walkers like it was nothing!"

Marlon nodded in agreement.

"You're right about that. If she's that effective taking out walkers, maybe she's as good at other tasks. We need all the help we can get finding more food for the group." Marlon states with a worried frown. "Supplies are really starting to run low..."

Marlon stops to think for a while.

"But... I'm not entirely sure we can trust her."

"What?" Louis blurts out, shocked.

Couldn't trust her? What reason would there be not to?

"She's been out there for a long time, Louis. We've been pretty damn lucky, living within these walls. But her?" Marlon gestures over to Clementine "You can see how much she cares for the kid. Question is, how far is she willing to go to keep him safe? How far has she already gone?"

A stunned silence falls on the group as they observe her moving over to various members of the school with AJ.

"Yeah, yeah I guess so." Louis reluctantly admits.  
"All right, what to do we need to know?" he asks Marlon

"First of all, how she's been surviving out there. Sure, she's been out on the road, but I doubt it's the whole time. Maybe she's had experience with another group, experience that could benefit us."

"Sounds good" Louis replies. "Anything else?"

A conflicted look passes Marlon's face before he finally answers.

"I need to know if she's killed anyone."

Taken aback, Louis looks over to Clementine, who is looking at AJ with such adoration as he talks to Ruby. Would she kill for him?

He felt like he already knew the answer to that one.

"Just gotta' figure out a way to bring up the subject with her. If she is trustworthy, then she'd make a good asset to the group. Any ideas, Lou?" Marlon asks him.

Now, this? This he can help with.

He playfully wiggles his eyebrows at Marlon whilst reaching into his pocket, drawing out his trusty pack of cards.

Marlon rolls his eyes and shakes his head fondly.

"Not sure what else I expected" he says as he eyes the cards "Then again, this might just work" Marlon adds, surprising Louis

"A card game could be a lighter, more fun way of asking her, less likely to offend her this way. Good job, man." he finishes his statement with a happy slap to Louis' back

Spotting Brody and Rosie, Marlon walks over, not before throwing a wave goodbye in Louis and Omar's direction.

Louis turns back to Omar, who is already back to focusing on his cooking.

"Mmm, yes. Redolent of rosemary, lemongrass and possum meat" Louis teases the chef who chooses to ignore the statement.

"Hey, Guys"

Louis looks up to see Clementine and AJ standing there, having made their way round to them for proper introductions.

"Clem, AJ, this is Omar. Uh, excuse me...chef Omar"

Omar rolls his eyes at the title as he introduces himself to the two

"Hello, and no, it's not ready yet" Omar informs them, wanting to get back to preparing the meal

Ever the master of words, that one.

"Omar's a perfectionist. The slightest flavor out of place and he's grumpy for a week" Louis tries to explain Omar's behavior.

"You can eat or you can eat right. All it'll cost you is a little patience." Omar defends himself.

"I'll let you guys know when we're done." Louis tells them, sensing the conversation was going nowhere and knowing the two still had others to talk to.

As he turned back to Omar, he missed the fond look on Clementine's face as she gazed at him, trying to figure the boy out.

"What about now, now you've met them?" Louis asks Omar, wanting to know his opinion.

Omar's eyes glance between the twos retreating form and Louis

"I think she likes you" Omar tells him bluntly.

The blush returns in full force.

"What? Are you crazy?" Louis says with a sarcastic laugh, not too sure if Omar was messing with him. "I highly doubt that"

Omar simply shrugs back at him

His mind shuffled through their interactions, trying to find any indication of Omar's statement. Sure, she was nice to him, complimented him on his walker ass-kicking abilities earlier. But that was just normal, right?

Still, he couldn't help the slight smile on his face at the thought.

Louis spots Violet out of the corner of his eye, arms crossed as she stood solemnly beside Tenn who was placing flowers down on his sister's graves. Shortly after, he sees Clementine approaching.

He can't hear from here, but he can tell that Violet is actually engaging in a conversation with Clementine, their apparent bonding over killing walkers helping to continue conversations.

Louis smiles at the sight of them.

Oh.

He hadn't thought of that.

What if Clem liked Violet. Like... LIKED her. He didn't even stop to think that Clementine might be interested that way.

Of course she doesn't like him, what was he thinking?

A feeling of disappointment washed over him, quickly replaced by guilt at allowing himself to feel that way. He shouldn't be disappointed. If she likes Violet and Violet likes her, then it would be a good thing. He's happy for Vi.

"I'd say this is about done" Omar snapped him out of his thoughts

Louis glanced over to see they were now talking to Marlon and Brody, AJ trying his very hardest to apologize to Marlon for hitting him; in his own special AJ kind of way of course.

"Hey, Clem! AJ!" Louis shouted to catch their attention "Stews done!"

Everyone stands at this, making their way over to the benches spread out around the courtyard.

Louis grabs a few bowls of the stew, making his way over to the spare seat at the end of the table next to Marlon and Clementine.

He places the bowls down with a theatric "Ladies and Gentleman, dinner is served"

"Thanks" Clementine tells him with a slight laugh as Louis gestures for her to dig in.

"Wow, can't remember the last time we had a hot meal" she tells him as he gives a sad smile at the remark

Clementine is quick to try her first spoonful of the stew.

"Mmm, this is really good" she continues, distracted by the sight of AJ downing the whole bowl next to her.

Louis spots Ruby's slight disgusted look at AJ and quickly tries his best to avert her attention by raising his hand to his mouth as he releases a burp.

Predictably, Ruby turns to glare at him as he smirks back at her.

"Oh, come on!" she scolds him

AJ briefly pauses his own manic eating to release a burp of his own, stew covering a large portion of his face. He gives a quick glance to the occupants of the table before continuing to eat.

"Hey, slow it up, AJ. You're gonna choke." Clementine tells AJ, also not too impressed at his manners.

AJ obeys, grabbing a nearby spoon and slowly resuming his meal.

"Just because everything else died doesn't mean manners did. " Ruby smiles gratefully at the two of them as she stands. "I'll say goodnight"

"Goodnight" AJ cheerfully responds.

The boy looks down at his bowl, saddened at their empty contents.

"Clem?" he complains pitifully.

"I'm sorry, buddy. I'm sure they shared as much as they could." She responds.

Louis frowns at the sight, feeling his heartstrings tugged at the kid's sad expression. Marlon was right, they had no idea how long they had been on the road. They had no idea how many hot meals they could have possibly had out there, hell, even just meals full stop.

Them on the other hand? There was rarely a day where they would skip a days meal, always assured that Marlon would find a way to ensure they were fed.

"AJ, heads up."

Both Clementine and AJ look at him curiously as he hands his bowl over to the boy.

"I'm full, kiddo. You can have the rest"

"You sure?" Clementine asks him, evidently shocked by his offer.

Had no one ever been kind to these guys?

"You bet" he responds with an assuring smile.

If the look of happiness on the kid's face wasn't good enough, the look of gratefulness on Clementines face sure was.

"I'm all done." AJ informs her, placing his bowl down.

"Mhmm, me too" Clementine replies

"Now what?" AJ asks the group.

Sensing the change of atmosphere, Louis quickly decided this is the best time to get some answers.

"I'll tell you what." he begins as he turns his chair around, getting himself comfortable as he leaned forwards.

"Time for something...very important." he continues as he holds up his cards.

Brody is quick to refuse her time, making her way inside the dorms.

Louis catches Violets curious gaze

"Violet! It's time!" he encourages her over, pleased to see her joining the group sat at the table.

"What's the game tonight, Lou?" Marlon asks him.

Time to put on a show

"War" he declares, looking to Clementine with a slight smirk as he shuffled the cards. "The oldest game around. A game played by man and beast alike. The only game there is."

Recognition flickers across Clementines face at the name.

"Get ready, losers. Because its time for you all to lose."

Beautiful? Check

A badass? Check

Funny? Check.

Confident? Check

Oh dear lord, he was doomed.

"Ohhh, shit! I like that" he declares with a delighted smile.

"Bold talk" Marlon comments

"Uh-uh. True talk" she quickly fires back.

Violet shakes her head and quickly pushes the stacked bowls away from her.

"It's easy. Everyone gets a stack of cards, everyone flips one over. Highest card wins." Violet explains to her

"And the winner gets to ask Clem a question" he quickly adds.

Clementine looks to him with a stern expression

Oh shit

"What? I want to get to know you"

Too forward, too forward!

"We all do"

Saved.

"And what if I win?" Clementine asks

"Then you get to ask us a question. It's only fair." Louis replies.

AJ, seemingly uninterested in the cards, makes his way over to Tenn who had been left behind at the other tables, watching him draw with excitement.

Louis begins handing out the cards whilst Clementine eventually decides it would be best to let AJ bond with another kid his own age, agreeing that maybe some time apart would be good for a moment.

The game begins.

They flip their cards, the first round going to Violet.

"So, about AJ... " she lowers her voice delicately, trying to find the best way to approach. "Where are AJ's parents? You two don't really look related, so..."

The question still seems to upsets Clementine slightly as she thinks over a response. "They're dead. They were nice people. For the most part." Clementine tells them, keeping it short.

"It makes sense. He's a nice kid" Louis assures her.

"For the most part" she jokes back, looking down to begin the next round.

The next round goes to Clementine.

"Hey, I win" she declares triumphantly.

"Hey, you do. So, what do you want to know?" he responds.

Clementine takes some time to decide her question, nothing but the sound of crickets and the crackling fire surrounding them.

Until he begins to whistle, that is.

"What's up with your hair cut, Marlon?" she finally settled on a question

"Oh, boy" Louis voices his thoughts.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Marlon asks, taken aback

"She means it looks like a dead cat, probably smells like one too." Violet teases him with an amused smile

"Uh, I look cool" Marlon complains, defending his hairstyle.

Violet let's out a snort.

"Whatever you say"

Marlon narrows his eyes in annoyance.

"I say I look cool."

He knew that tone. Best to start the next round.

To his delight, he sees he has the highest card.

"Boo yah!" Louis exclaims in excitement.

He knows he should ask a question Marlon wanted him to, but somethings been bugging him...

He looks up to Clementine, fully prepared to ask her, but falters at the look on her face.

"Come on, spit it out" Violet bluntly commands him.

Jeez, thanks for the encouragement, Vi.

"So, uh... Ever uh... Ever have a boyfriend?"

Sure said that with the utmost of confidence.

"Oh my god" Violet exclaims, letting an arm drop to the table from her face as she shook her head at his question.

"What? It happens. Perfectly valid question" Louis defended his choice.

He looks back at Clementine, now feeling slightly worried his question may have made her feel uncomfortable or nervous.

"You can ask me if I've ever had a girlfriend. I haven't, by the way. " Louis tells her, hoping his words will encourage her.

"Oh, I'm sure she's real surprised by that one" Violet comments sarcastically

Ouch, Vi.

"I... Met a boy one time..." Clementine admits to the group.

Oh?

"And?" Louis asks, hoping she'll continue

"And we were... Friends"

"Just friends?" Violet asks, echoing his own thoughts "Nothing else?"

Clementine laughs nervously beside him

"Hah, no!" She's quick to deny  
"He was such a huge dork"

Oh, he knows exactly what that means

"Oh, dude, you fucking LOVED him, huh?" Louis can't help but tease.

"No!" she quickly denies, unable to stop her voice rising in pitch.

She had feelings for a boy she thought was a dork? Maybe he's in with a chance!

"This is adorable" Louis states to the whole table.

Unsurprisingly, Clementine is quick to start the next round.

Marlon wins, and Louis prepares himself for which question he'll ask her first.

"Hah, I win!" Marlon starts

"So, Clem..." he drops off, thinking carefully. "You can't have been alone this entire time. Who used to take care of you? Family? Anyone?"

Clementine looks sadly down at the table

"The first person who taught me about survival was Lee" she tells them

"What'd he teach you?" Marlon continues to ask?

"Lots of stuff" She tells him bluntly, clearly not happy about the subject.

"Most important thing?" Marlon presses on.

The silence around them stretches on for a while until she finally answers.

"How to say goodbye."

The quiet continues, the three of them looking to each other in concern as Clementine stared down at the table, wrapped up in her own memories.

After a particularly amusing question regarding his most hated of fruits, and a rather disturbing yet expected question regarding their deaths from Violet (with a brutally honest answer from Clementine, may he add), Louis finally won another round.

"I am the greatest card player of all time" he declares with confidence, only to be shot down by Violet

"Just ask your damn question"

He glances over to Marlon, who looks at him expectantly.

Ah, crap.

How the hell do you ask someone if they've ever had to kill?

"Ever... Actually, never mind"

Nope. He just can't bring himself round to do it.

"What? Ask it?" Clementine instructs him with irritation

"It's not a fun question"

"Ask."

Can't back out now.

He should just go straight to the point right? No point beating around the bush.

Cmon, just ask her

Have you ever had to kill someone

Just that

"Have you ever had to kill someone you loved?"

He's an idiot.

He sees Marlon startle next to him, clearly not expecting the last part as much as he was.

Clementines eyes widen in response to his question.

"Louis." Marlon spits out harshly

It's not exactly like HE was the one who wanted to ask this question!

"Hey, she wanted me to ask"

"Lee." Clementines calm voice interrupts the potential argument, and he turns back to her.

"What happened?" Louis inquired gently.

"Same thing that happens to everyone. He got bit. He didn't want to turn, so I..I had to..."

"Kill him" Louis finishes for her.

Her eyes remain glued to the surface of the table as she nods.

"It was the same day I found out my parents were dead."

Guilt wracks his body as the sight of her sorrow, Clementine seemingly sinking into herself. He wishes he could make her feel better, make those bad feelings go away.

"That, sounds like a rough day" Louis tells her gently

She looks towards him with a sad huff and a smile.

"Yeah, worst day of my life"

The quiet returns.

"I think I'm done playing for tonight" she tells them, turning away from the bench and towards AJ.

"Yeah, probably for the best" Marlon reassures her, shooting Louis an annoyed look to which he responds with a frown.

"You wanted me to ask"

Marlon simply looks away, the "not like that" clearly hanging in the air.

"I'm gonna to go talk to her, make sure she's alright and knows her way back to the dorms" Marlon says, standing from his seat and rushing over to Clementine and AJ's retreating forms.

Louis gives a dejected sigh, turning back to find Violet giving him an unimpressed glare.

"But he did-"

"I know" Violet interrupts him, shaking her head.  
"Not sure that's what he had in mind though..." she trails off.

Louis promptly slams his head into the table.

"God, I'm such an idiot"

He glances back up to see Violet giving him a sad smile.

"Yeah, but that's alright. It's just part of your charm"

That was definitely a compliment from Vi.

Louis gives one last sad look as they go through to the dorms, turning back to see Violet watching him an inquisitive look.

"What?" he asks, confused at her look.

Her eyes darted from him to the door they walked through, before finally settling on him.

"Nothing" she decides, raising an eyebrow  
"So.. 'ever had a boyfriend', huh?"

"Like I said, perfectly valid question." He responded, only resulting in her raising her eyebrow further.

"Oh come on, like you didn't want to know either" he continues, to which she simply shrugs in response

That's definitely a yes.

Violet gives him one last shake of her head as she stands, preparing to leave

"Either way, it looks like you're going to have to find a good way to make it up to her" she tells him. "I'm sure you'll figure something out"

Thoughts of their first encounter in the music room filled his mind as an idea formed, smiling up at Violets inquisitive look.

"You know what Vi? I think I already have"


	3. Chapter 3

Louis startled out of sleep, blearily looking around the room in confusion upon realizing he was in the music room.

Right, he must have fallen asleep at some point. He had spent hours upon hours sat at the piano, composing a new song he had been trying to write for quite some time, his mind stuck on the last section of the song.

Though recently, someone had been giving him some inspiration.

"Ugh, that's not good for the back" he mumbled, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

"Louis? You in here?" Marlon’s shouts come from beyond the hall shortly before he appears in the entrance.

Louis yawns, stretching his arms over his head until he feels his joints crack

"Hey man, you ready? They're already waiting for you outside" Marlon asks

Damn, he had nearly forgotten he was supposed to go out hunting with Aasim today. He sure was gonna regret staying up so late last night.

Did Marlon say 'they're?' He could have sworn it was only him and Aasim scheduled for hunting today.

"They're?"

"Yeah, Aasim, Clementine, and AJ are out by the gates. Violet and Brody are already heading out to the fishing shack." Marlon tells him.

"Guess that means you decided to let them stay?" Louis asks, a smile forming on his face.  
"They pass your little test, then?"

"Thought I'd give them a chance. Like you said, they're both plenty capable, and God knows we need that right now."

He was definitely right there, Clementine's experience in dispatching walkers evident from their time the day before.

"Good, I'm glad."

Marlon stops to observe him as Louis stands from the piano, brushing off any dust on his clothes. Noticing Marlon's stare, he raises his eyebrow in question.

"What?"

"You really like her, don't you?"

Louis shrugs, turning to hide his embarrassment from Marlon, searching the area around him for his weapon.

"Just... Don't get your hopes up, OK?"

Louis whirls back around to face Marlon, shocked at the comment.

"What do you mean?"

Marlon was absentmindedly scratching the underside of his chin, looking anywhere but at Louis.

"I'm just saying. She seems pretty preoccupied with that kid of hers. I just don't think she's... Y'know... All that interested in you."

Marlon sighs at the slightly wounded look on Louis' face.

"I just don't want to see you put so much interest into her only to be shot down"

"Oh. Yeah I- uh, guess you're right, man. Thanks"

Finally spotting his weapon by the table, Louis paces over, darting out of the room as quick as possible.

Marlon remains for a beat, filled with shame at what he had just done.

"It's for the best, Lou." he murmured quietly to himself.  
"You just don't know it yet"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis winced at the sunlight that blinded him as he pushed open the lobby doors leading to the school's courtyard.

His eyes adjusted as he walked forward towards the gate, spotting an excited looking AJ standing next to Clementine who was engaged in a conversation with Aasim.

AJ is the first to notice him, promptly tugging on Clementine's hand to get her attention. She turns away from Aasim to AJ who points out Louis' arrival, looking up to the approaching boy as an involuntary smile tugs at her lips.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I imagine it was dreadfully boring here without the presence of yours truly."

Aasim huffs at his words

"C'mon, we're already burning daylight" Aasim replies, pushing open the gate and gesturing for them to follow as he steps out into the woods.

They walk to the hunting area in a comfortable silence, closing his eyes as he enjoys what will undoubtedly be the last of the summer breeze for the year.

"Along with hunting, we've built some traps to help catch any wildlife in the area. It's mostly rabbits, but you get the occasional squirrel or possum as  
well." Aasim throws over his shoulder at their direction.

"After a, uh, 'incident' we had, we started to use markers to indicate where the traps are in the forest. So watch where you step." Aasim finishes, clearly directing the last part towards Louis.

"I _think_ I can handle myself. " Louis assures confidently.

"I'm practically a ninja _ _."__

He throws up his hands in his best ninja pose, hoping to get a rise out of Aasim and a reaction from Clementine.

"Oh yeah? I thought I was the only one" She quips back at him, giving her own ninja pose

"Me too!" AJ exclaims, copying the two with enthusiasm, not wanting to be left out.

Louis smiled at the two, surprised yet delighted they were joking around with him.

"Oh dear god, there's more than one" Aasim mutters from ahead

Aasim scans the area briefly for any signs of wildlife.

"C'mon, pay attention. We've actually got shit to do out here. Not exactly like we all get the privilege of being Marlon’s lap dog"

"Ooooh, ouch" Louis responds sarcastically, years of listening to Aasims insults helping him reflect them.

"Looks like somebody's jealous" he comments to AJ, bending down to match the boy's height.

He straightens himself up, turning to Clementine.

"In my defense, I do actually get things done that need to be doing. I just prefer to do it in my own way." He defends himself to her, hoping she doesn't take Aasims words too seriously.  
"So, y'know, don't sweat the technique"

"Sure. You do what you have to to survive. " Clementine agrees with a shrug.

Louis grins at her response. Most people in the school chastise him for his laid back nature, but he could tell Clementine would be different from the moment they met.

"I knew you'd understand."

"Whatever, man" Aasim mutters bitterly. "You're not the only one with your own technique. Sometimes you have to make plans A, B and C if you wanna survive out there"

"But what's the point if you're spending you're whole life planning 'what-ifs', not actually living it?" Louis retaliates

"Shh, shut up a second"

Clementines panicked words give him pause, straining his hearing to try and pick up whatever sound had caught her attention.

The low groan of a walker could be heard, but there was no sight of the creature. The group approaches warily in the direction of the sound, weapons drawn in preparation.

The sight of the corpse dangling from within one of his traps reminds him of something from his childhood, making him laugh at the resemblance.

Speaking of living.

"Hey! Check this guy out! He's like a walker piñata!" Louis says excitedly, giving the reaching walker a poke with Chairles as it groans in disagreement.

Aasims patience was already at its breaking point, unable to stop himself from snapping.

"Cut it down, kill it, fix the snare and let's _go _" He orders Louis.  
"We've got shit to do."__

Louis ignores him, already planning the different ways of attack on the corpsein front of him.

"I will, I will. Eventually..." Louis replies, lowering his tone at the last word.

"If you wanna offer a hand and help me feed the kid, I could use some help looking for some rabbits. Or you can mess around with this idiot and starve. Up to you." Aasim angrily tells Clementine, storming off before giving her a chance to respond.

Louis frowned at his words, feeling himself get irritated. What was wrong with having fun once in a while? It wasn't like he was blowing off hunting completely.

"What's a pin... A pin.." AJ begins, tripping up on the new word.

"A piñata" Clementine finishes for him. "It was something you would have at a birthday party"

It was easy to forget sometimes that AJ grew up in this world, never having experienced seemingly normal things.

"They're these big, colorful animal-shaped boxes. Usually a horse or donkey. They would be filled with all different types of candy and you'd take turns wailing on the thing till it broke." Louis tells AJ, reminiscing in the memories. "Mom would get me one every year. Of course, I would gorge myself on candy until I was sick and couldn't stand the sight of one, but still."

Clementine and AJ laugh at this, the former stepping closer to get a better look at the walker. Feeling her presence next to him he flips Chairles in his hands, offering the handle to her with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Care for a swing?" He asks her, watching as her eyes flick from the weapon in his hand, then to the walker, then to Aasim and finally back to him. She seemed uncertain.

"Don't worry, it won't bite." Louis jokes "Well, I mean, he will. But not the bat. You get me?"

Clementine takes the weapon from his hands. He steps back to stand by AJ to make sure he gets a good view. Gotta see if she's as good with a bat as she is with a knife.

"Fine, but quickly."

She approaches the walker, and Louis can't help but be impressed as she adapts her stance to get the best possible swing. Perhaps she knows her stuff.

Her arms rear back, lining up the shot.

She swings forward quickly, bat connecting with the walker's jaw that begins gurgling on its own blood.

"Woo! Now that's gotta be at least a silver!" He teases her.

The comment works as planned, Clementine turning to him with a questioning look.  
" _Just _a silver, huh?"__

Louis simply smiles back at her, shrugging his shoulders. "Might have been a lucky shot."

The comment spurs her on, turning back to the walker as she tightened her grip on the weapon in her hands.

She swings harder, Chairles once again finding its mark as it slams into the walkers face, undoubtedly shattering the poor creatures jawbone.

Goddamn.

"Hell yeah! I'd say you've definitely earned yourself a gold there! But you gotta give it one more hit, so make it count" Louis tells her, still sporting a smile.

"Come on, Clem!" AJ cheers her from beside him.

She lines up one final time, yelling with the effort as she throws her whole weight into the swing.

Louis watches in amazement at the sight of the walker's jaw flying off into the trees.

Clementine returns his weapon to him with a cocky smile, struggling not to laugh at the gobsmacked look on his face.

"We should probably reset the trap and go help Aasim" She tells him, already making her way over to the rope with knife in hand.

Louis remains frozen until he hears the thud of the walker hitting the ground, shaking his head clear of his thoughts as he works on getting the rope re-tied.

"So, feel any better now that you've let off steam? I find its best to let out any built up energy every now and then. Have some fun!" He asks her in a cheerful tone as he works.

"Yeah, I guess it did help a little bit...And it was pretty fun." Clementine admits

She turns to where Aasim is stood waiting for them, clearly not pleased with how long it was taking them.

"We should probably head over." She tells him with a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry about _Aasim _.__ I promise he can be fun...Sometimes. He's always giving me shit, saying we need to 'guarantee out future'." Louis tells her as he stands from his tasks _ _.__

"But I tell him right back. There's only one guarantee: this moment. That's the only thing you got, only thing any of us got. Might as well enjoy it"

He steps closer as he says this, emphasizing the words as much as possible to get his point across to her. They stand in silence for a moment, just looking up at one another before Clementine nods up at him with a smile.

Louis breaks their eye contact, crouching down to the trap to double check his work.

"Well, in that case, I can't wait for our next batting practice."

His heart jumps at her words, not at all expecting her to want to spend more time with him. He stands from the newly tied trap, looking to her with an  
affectionate smile.

"It's a date."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The leaves crunch noisily under his feet as they make their way through the forest, heading to the fishing shack to check on Violet and Brody.

"Where did you learn to swing like that?" Louis asks Clementine after a few moments of silence

"Didn't learn, exactly. More like... Observed. Few years back, I met a guy who used to play baseball. Like, as his job. He would use a bat to take out walkers, so I just sort of watched how he did it, just in case I don't have my knife or gun and have to rely on something similar."

"Baseball player, huh? That's cool. I used to love baseball." Louis tells her.

The first few weeks of being sent to Ericsons, he would only mope around, still upset his parents had sent him away. His teachers encouraged him to try sports in an attempt to distract himself, so he joined the school's baseball team.

It was there he met Marlon, who had one hell of a swing. He remembers the day like it was yesterday. He had pitched the ball to Marlon, not really paying any attention to his surroundings. His lack of awareness was awarded with the baseball striking him in the mouth.

Marlon had rushed over at the sight of him tumbling backward, frantically asking him if he was alright. He answered by spitting out a tooth and giving him a dazed, slightly gappy smile.

They laughed for hours.

It didn't take long after that for their friendship to bloom. In that time, Marlon’s inability to handle his anger soon became clear. It wouldn't take much to set him off, as he struggled to keep his emotions in check at such a young age. This didn't put Louis off though, who was keen to make friends with this kid no matter what.

Marlon warmed up to him quickly, realizing Louis would always be happy to sit there as he ranted, already preparing the next joke to cheer him up.

"I take it the guy was good then? Major leagues?" Louis asked Clementine, coming back to reality.

"No clue." She responded.  
"Didn't really ask him. All I know is he got in some trouble and got banned from playing. Something about betting against his team and playing badly on purpose?"

Louis stops in his tracks, throwing out an arm to stop Clementine as well. She looks to him with a questioning frown.

"What?"

"Hold on" Louis begins, breathing deeply to contain his excitement.  
"You're not talking about Javier Garcia, are you?"

"You know him!?"

"Do I know him!? Of course I know him! Well, not personally, but the guy was a legend!"

Clementine laughs at the sight of him practically vibrating with excitement.

"What was he like?" Louis asked enthusiastically, wanting to know more

"He was a good guy, fiercely protective of his family. Not that his nephew, Gabe, made it easy." She tells him, smiling fondly at the memories

Hold on a minute. He knew that smile. Did that mean?

"Oh my god." He exclaims, turning to her with a grin "It's _him _, isn't it? Gabe? He's the dork!"__

The blush is quick to appear on her cheeks, averting her gaze to where she's walking in an attempt to hide her face.

"No" Clementine denies.

Liar

"Oh, man. I can't believe it. You fell for Javier Garcia's nephew." Louis continued to tease her, immensely enjoying the reaction he was getting.

"Shut _up _"__ she practically whines, quickening her pace as the shack comes into view.

They step off the small bridge that crosses the rushing stream, searching the area for the two girls.

"Where's Vi and Brody?" Clementine asks, unable to find any signs of them.

"Clem, look!" AJ alerts them, running over to a dead walker near the shack they hadn't spotted.

Louis feels his stomach twist with fear at the sight of the spear sticking out of the corpses head.

"Somethings not right. Violet and Brody wouldn't just leave this out here." He tells Clementine, already starting to fidget with the need to find them.

Looking closer, he notices that the spear is definitely one of theirs. Did they kill the walker, but something made them leave in a hurry? Or did someone else use the spears?

Louis rushes over to the door of the shack, leaving AJ and Clementine to further investigate the dead walker. His boot comes into contact with a metal object on the ground, to which he realizes is the door lock on closer inspection.

The doors broken lock.

"Heads up, guys. Locks busted. We might not be alone."

Clementine and AJ react immediately, drawing their weapons and walking over to where Louis stood, Chairles already in hand as he listened for movement beyond the door.

Clementine takes charge of the situation, instructing them to step back. He's about to ask why when she shoves her leg out, opening the door with a sudden kick in the hopes of catching anyone inside off guard.

This proves for nothing, as a quick glance inside shows that any potential intruders are gone. The evidence of their previous presence is shown by the destruction of the room; furniture toppled over, drawers left haphazardly open after a thorough search and their crucial supplies missing.

"Holy shit, this place is wrecked! All our supplies are gone too! The nets, the spears, everything." Louis tells Clementine in a panic, the gravity of the situation finally settling in.

Clementine wanders around the destroyed room, searching for any evidence the thief may have left behind.

Where the hell was Violet and Brody?

"I'm going to take a look outside, see if I can find Vi or Brody." Louis tells them as he rushes past through the door.

Louis jogs slowly down the side of the river, weapon in hand just in case he runs into the thief. He glances over at the ground in both sides of the stream, hoping to spot any buckets or spears that Violet and Brody, or even the thief, may have left behind.

The sound of footsteps alerts him to someone's presence. He turns, Chairles raised and ready to strike before he spots who it is.

"Oh, thank god" Louis mutters gratefully, rushing over to the two approaching girls.

"We've got a bit of a situation." he informs them before they can say anything, gesturing for them to head over to the shack

Violet and Brody head towards the building, Louis double checking the ground for anything he might have missed. Finding nothing, he too heads over to join them.

"No sign of our thief." He informs the occupants of the room.

"Thief?" Brody asks, realization dawning on her face

"Shit, we just walked for about a mile down river and all the traps were empty." Violet says angrily, arms crossed.

Clementine seems to have had better luck finding evidence of the thief than him, uncurling her fingers to show a hand made a cigarette that had been half burned.

"Do any of the kids smoke?"

"No, nothing _to_ smoke." Violet responds.

"From what we can gather, our thief not only stole from our traps but helped himself to our supplies, too. It's about to become a hell of a lot harder to catch fish." Louis tells them, pointing to the now empty cabinet which used to hold their gear.

"Fuck. This is... Shit"

Louis can only stand and watch quietly from the corner as Brody begins to break down, the stress of the situation triggering another anxiety attack.

It pains him to see her like this, but he knows there's nothing he can do to help, that anyone could really do to help. She would ignore any jokes he made in an attempt to distract her, and simply trying to talk to her would piss her off or panic her more. These were just something she had to deal with on her own.

Clementine watches Brody with concern, approaching gingerly and softening her voice.

"It's okay, you just need to take a breath for a second and-"

"Just shut the fuck up, okay!" Brody shouts, making Clementine flinch momentarily before becoming irritated herself

"Excuse me?"

"Come on, Brody. You know she's just trying to help." Louis scolds her, surprised she would snap at Clementine so quickly for something so simple.

"You guys figure something out, I've got to tell Marlon about this" Brody instructs them, already storming out of the shack and down the path back to the school.

Louis sighs as he watches her disappear into the trees. He turns back to the group, unsure what to do about their food situation now they had no way of catching fish.

"What do we do then, eat rocks?" He asks sarcastically

"You can't eat rocks." AJ states, not picking up on his tone.

"I'm aware"

"Will Marlon kick us out if we don't find food?" AJ asks fearfully

Kick them out? No way, Marlon wouldn't just threaten to kick them out of the school if they didn't bring back any food. Then again, it's not like he would know. He hasn't exactly been around when Marlon was left to make these kinds of decisions...

"Let's not find out" Clementine responds as she rummages through her jacket pockets, pulling out their map of the school that Marlon must have given her.

She glances over the drawing for a few moments before nodding to herself.

"We could head out to the train station, the place you guys found me and AJ. There was a bunch of food hidden in the office that we found before the grenade went off." She tells them, waiting for their reply.

She wanted to go to the train station? The train station that exploded? That was, by Marlon's words, 'swarmed with walkers'? Did she have _no_ fear?

"The train station? I mean, maybe, but it's pretty far outside the safe zone." Violet tells Clementine, unsure about breaking Marlon's sacred rule.  
"You sure there was food in there?"

"Yeah, tons of it. Sure, some was destroyed by the explosion, but some must have survived. There was just so much."

Clementine looks at the two, her expression almost one of begging. How serious exactly was Marlon about kicking them out of they didn't find any food?

Violet turned to him, waiting for his opinion on the matter. Marlon would definitely not be happy to find they had crossed the safe zone, but if they bring back a large amount of food, it might just convince Marlon to ease up on the safe zone restrictions and make their scavenging a lot easier.

"I think it's worth a look" He tells Violet. Clementine smiles thankfully at him for his agreement.

Violet sighs

"All right. Lead the way."


	4. Chapter 4

Crickets chirp around them in response to the setting sun. Violet walks ahead, repeatedly checking on Marlon's map that Clementine had given her to make sure they were heading in the right direction.

"Hey, so... I just wanted to apologize for what happened with Brody back there." Louis begins, breaking the silence between himself and Clementine.  
"She's not normally like that, she just gets a bit, uh, stressed every now and then."

"It's fine. I mean, sure, I was a bit surprised but... I understand why she reacted the way she did. Someone stealing supplies? It happens, but it could become a problem if they come back..."

"You think they'll come back?" Louis asks, worried at the prospect.

Clementine inhales deeply before giving a tired sigh.

"Maybe. If we're lucky, they were just passing through and grabbed what they could. Or, they might realize there's a steady source of food to steal from and decide to stay in the area."

Well... Shit. That wouldn't make their lives any easier. Their food situation was already scarce, now there's some random asshole sneaking around and stealing their food? Great.

"Let's not worry about that right now. We just have to focus on bringing back food for everyone tonight." Clementine assures him with a smile.

"Guys! I think this is it, up ahead!" Violet whispers to them, careful not to alert any walkers that may be hidden within the woods.

The train station comes slowly into view, an old rusted cargo train laid turned over across the road that blocked most of their sight. As they get closer, he can clearly hear the sound of walkers groaning and shuffling in unison, paling slightly at just how many he could see roaming around the station.

They move quickly but quietly, hiding behind one of the nearby train carriages before any walkers can spot them.

They had dealt with herds before, but this many, with only the four of them? How in the hell were they gonna pull this off?

"Maybe you should get a better look, Clem. You know the place better." Violet suggests

Clementine doesn't respond, already leaning cautiously out of their hiding spot to scope the place out. After a few moments of scouting, she returns to them.

"You look like you have a plan." Louis says at the thoughtful expression on her face

"We won't be able to just sneak through them, so we'll have to distract them instead. There's a bell nearby we could use, would make a ton of noise."

She turns back to the herd, pointing out the overturned carriages.

"If one of us climbs up there and starts ringing it, the rest of us could sneak over."

"Louis, I vote Louis."

Was Vi serious? He couldn't do this!

"Uh, hold on a second. I have an alternate suggestion." Louis responded to Violet's bluntness, making sure she could see the offended look on his face.

"Come on, Lou. You're loud, annoying, a little dramatic." Violet states in her best form of encouragement.

"I think you mean charming and theatric." He shoots back with a glare

"Alright, Prince Charming. Time to see those talents in actions."

Louis turns, surprised at the comment. Was she teasing him, or flirting with him?

He gives a dramatic sigh

"I can't say no to a face like that." He teases back, momentarily forgetting his nerves.

The sounds of the walkers quickly bring them back, but he can't exactly back out now.

"Fine. I'll do it. But if I die, I'm making sure walker Louis eats you first!" He jokes in an attempt to lighten the situation.

At least, he hoped he was joking...

"We'll give you a few moments to climb up the ladder and grab their attention. I'll signal you once we're in position, then you'll have to distract them again to make them move away and let us get into the train station." Clementine instructs him, looking slightly worried.

Louis nods to show he was listening, shifting towards the nearby ladder.

He can only pray the walkers that were closest couldn't hear his heart beating out of his chest, fingers trembling as they grasp onto the rungs of the ladder.

He huffs in exertion as he pulls himself up and over the top of the train carriage, legs wobbling when he peers over the side at the sea of walkers below.

You got this, Louis. You got this. All you have to do is be loud, and you sure know how to do that.

He removes Chairles from his coat pocket before swinging it repeatedly against the roof of the carriage. The metal clangs loudly, the impact sending vibrations up his legs.

The walkers are quick to notice the noises, shifting in unison to face him. Their murky eyes rest on him, feeble arms clawing uselessly at the carriage in an attempt to reach him.

He puts on a show, throwing out insults to the crowd and playing different tunes with the bell to keep them " _entertained_ ". All the while, he keeps his eyes trained on Clem, Vi, and AJ as they make their way towards the closest cover, Clementine effortlessly taking out any walker that dared get too close.

Clementine waves her hand to signal him when they finally reach safe cover, waiting on him to move the herd further down and out of their way.

Louis treads carefully towards the next train carriage, questioning the stability of the rusted metal. Without his distractions, however, the walkers had lost interest and had begun wandering around the station grounds. He quickened his pace, fearing the walkers would find the others as they hid.

He didn't even bother with a speech this time, ringing the bell as hard and loud as he possibly could. The sharp sound is enough to bring the walkers back over, relief washing over him at the sight of Clementine and AJ entering the station, seeming unharmed.

Violet remains crouched nearby the entrance to the station the others had just entered from, nodding up to him in thanks.

Louis returns to striking the carriage with his weapon, not wanting to risk having any of the undead make their way over to the station. As the minutes tick by his anxiety begins to increase when there is no sight of Clementine or AJ. Surely it doesn't take this long to get any stashed food out?

Violet seemed to be having similar thoughts, throwing fleeting worried glances at the entrance to the station.

Her patience finally gives out as she turns to Louis, gesturing first to herself, then to the door to indicate she was going in to check on them.

The sound of a gun firing comes from somewhere within the station, startling him from his task of distraction. The new, louder sound grabs the walkers attention to which they begin moving towards the station.

Louis felt sick with fear, knowing there was no good scenario where a gun had to be used. He's about to rush down in hopes of aiding them when the door to the station slams open and he sees Clementine rush out with Violet and AJ in tow.

"Run!" Clementine shouts up at him, not even bothering to stop as she battles her way through the crowd of walkers.

Don't need to tell me twice.

Louis instantly follows the command, jumping off the side of the carriage and landing harshly with a grunt. He hadn't noticed the walker waiting below, jumping at how close it was.

He reacts almost too late, barely having enough room to swing Chairles at the advancing walker. It collapses to the floor, making him painfully aware of how close he could have been to his own demise.

He rushes forward to catch up to the others as they race out of the station, clearly not out of danger yet.

"What the hell happened?" He asks

Violet as they run, who shakes her head at the question.

"Not now."

Louis opens his mouth to respond when Clementine interrupts him.

"We'll talk about it later."

  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
The group pant from the effort, their pace finally turning from sprinting to walking now they were out of danger and couldn't see any walkers following them.

"Is anyone hurt?" He asks them worriedly, checking every member over for any bites or gunshot wounds.

"No, we're all right" Clementine tells him, Violet and AJ nodding to confirm her statement.  
"Think we found our thief, though."

"Thief? Wait, what exactly happened in there?" Louis asked her.

"Well, we found the stash of food" Clementine begins, patting the bag strap over her shoulder.  
"But then this guy came in and pointed a gun at us, demanding we give him some of the food. Started asking all kinds of questions about the school. You remember that cigarette I found earlier, in the fishing shack?"

"Sure."

"He was smoking one of them, so I think it's safe to assume he's our guy."

"Shit. Well, at least we know what he looks like now. I imagine we'll have to keep a lookout for him from now on though, just in case"

"I... Don't think he's going to be a problem" AJ says quietly from behind him

"What do you mean, little dude?"  
Clementine rubs her neck sheepishly, appearing almost ashamed.

"When AJ came out of cover, he started pointing his gun at AJ and I just... lost it. I shoved him out the window and the walkers grabbed him. He shot at them, but it looked like they tore a chunk out of his arm." She confessed guiltily, hoping he wouldn't react too badly to what she had done.

Damn, that's hardcore. Must have been where the gunshots came from.

"I mean, he pointed the gun at you guys first, right?" Louis asks cautiously, not wanting to upset her. She nods in response.

"Soon as he walked in the door, from what I could tell anyway. It just... Got out of hand."

The topic ends abruptly at her words, the group walking in silence through the forest, guided only by the moonlight above them.

"Well, at least we got some food!" Louis tells her with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Sure did, and quite a bit by the looks of it." Violet says cheerfully next to him, relieved their efforts were rewarded.

With the adrenalin worn off, the events of the day begun to wear down on him, feeling the exhaustion down to his bones.

"Come on, let's gets this haul back to the school."

  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
Louis tosses around in his bed, agitated that sleep just wasn't coming. No matter what he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Marlon and Brody's confrontation that evening before dinner.

He had seen Brody get scared before. It was a common occurrence nowadays, but this was different. The way she talked about the guy at the train station, the way Marlon reacted to it..Something just wasn't right.

He slipped out of bed, giving up on the idea of sleep for the night. His feet padded softly against the wooden floors as he grabbed his clothes from the nearby desk, quickly getting dressed and making his way down to the music hall.

"Marlon, you son of a bitch, don't do this!"

A shout, he's not sure who by, comes from the basement door as he walks by. He freezes in his tracks at the words, backing up to the door and pressing closer to listen.

He struggles to hear much past the crashing thunder from outside, the rain from the storm noisily hitting what remains of the glass on the doors and windows of the building.

"WHERE IS SHE!?"

The shrill voice of AJ is clear from outside, loud despite the sounds of the storm, the words reminding him of his first encounter with the boy.

Doors to the other dorms begin to open, their occupants exiting their room in confusion at the sudden shouting.

"The fuck is going on?"

"I thought I heard something weird..."

"Is someone hurt?"

"Somethings not right. We should go check it out."

They rush out of the building together, the rain quickly soaking through his coat once he leaves the cover of the inside.

To his horror, he's met with the sight of a very frightened Marlon, staring down at the barrel of a gun being pointed at him by AJ.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO CLEMENTINE!?" AJ continues his interrogation.

He had no idea what was happening, but he knew had to get that gun away from the kid, or someone might get hurt.

"AJ, put the gun down" He instructed the boy, who kept his rage-filled stare directly on Marlon.

"She's... She's in the basement. She  _murdered_  Brody." Marlon trembles.

Brody was... Was dead? How... No, that couldn't be possible. Clementine wouldn't just kill her like that, over a simple disagreement they had earlier, surely?

"Is that blood on your face?"

The darkness of the night had hidden it well, and he probably wouldn't have noticed unless Mitch pointed it out. Lightning crashed from overhead, briefly illuminating Marlons trembling figure, streaks of red splattered across his face that he reached up to wipe off.

"Get the hell away from AJ!"

Louis startles at the sound of Clementine's voice, so focused on the gun in AJ's hands he hadn't noticed her exiting the basement. He felt bile fill his throat as she got closer, spotting the blood that covered her hands.

"You killed Brody! You hit her so hard, her head split open!"

Louis looked to his best friend in horror, not wanting to believe it. Could Brody have pushed him so far as to kill her?

"That's a lie! I saw _you_ kill her!" Marlon shouts back at Clementine, voice breaking in panic.  
"Look at her hands! She's covered in Brody's blood!"

The other kids finally notice this at Marlon's words, expressing their disbelief at the sight.

"Jesus Christ, Clem"

"What did you do?"

"You locked me in there with her while she turned! I had to put her down!" Clementine yells, furious at his accusations.

Clementines angered words cause AJ to look to her for guidance, unsure what to do next. Marlon was quick to take advantage of the distraction, rushing forward to knock the young boy down and yanking the gun away from him as he fell.

For a split second, Louis thinks its all over, that everything will calm down now that Marlon has the gun. Marlon’s face looks almost crazed as he lifts the gun into the air, and Louis feels himself instinctively step back.

AJ remained on the floor, and he worried that the kid had been injured from the fall. He made sure to keep an eye on Marlon as he slowly and carefully bent down, hoping not to startle the young boy as he helped him back to his feet and away from Marlon.

"We saved their lives! We risked ourselves to help them out of that crash, and this is how they repay us?! Guns being pulled and murder? Well fuck! That!" Marlon spat the last words, waving the gun around in his hands.

The hell was he doing?

Marlon's eyes land on Clementine, expression changing to one of pure anger as he lifts the gun and aims it right at her.

The  _hell_  was he doing!?

"You can't shoot me! What are you going to offer up to the raiders if they come knocking again?"

What was she talking about? What raiders?

"He won't do it, because he needs me alive!"

"Shut up!"

"Brody told me: Marlon was going to give me and AJ up to the raiders in exchange for safety! Same way he gave up Minnie and Sophie."

Clementines statement shakes the group, collective gasps coming from the students. Marlon's eyes dart to everyone at their reaction, the sight angering him every more.

This just... Couldn't be. Marlon would never do something like that. Sophie and Minnie were dead, he couldn't have traded them away.

"Oh come the fuck on! They only met up with these raiders because Clem insisted they go out there! Quite the coincidence, huh? Shame I don't believe in those. Who are you gonna believe! Johnny come lately and her little fucking lunatic, or me! Your friend"

Marlon’s words were harsh but brought truth. Louis had seen with his own eyes just how ruthless Clementine could be, and he had only known her for a few days. Marlon was his best friend, the one guy he could always rely on no matter what.

But... But he also  _knew_  Marlon. How angry he can get, how easy it can be for him to snap, not just verbally but physically. And Clementine... He had seen her soft side too. Her kind words, her comforting smiles. Killing Brody, it just didn't make sense.

"Louis, you have to believe me!" Clementine begs, voice shaking in fear

God, he wants to. Wants to be assured that she would never do such a thing. Wants to be the one that calms everyone down, makes sure that no gets hurt.

But he can't.

"Oh no, I am not involved"

' _Coward_ ' a small voice seems to whisper from within his head.

"So you'd just let him shoot me? Really? I thought you were more than that" Clementine accuses him, face twisted in hurt at his unwillingness to help.

' _I thought you were more than that._ ' It seems to rattle in his head, the guilt of not helping amplified from her words.

He still doesn't know. Doesn't know who to believe. But he can't just watch her die by Marlon's hand, it's just not right.

"Marlon? Come on man, put the gun down."

"Louis!"

The use of his name from Marlon startles him, rarely hearing it said the way he did.

"She. Killed. Brody. We can't just let her walk away."

Louis feels himself shrink, not wanting to argue against his best friend. He turns back to Clementine who is watching him, eyes pleading for help.

"I'm sorry Clem. He's my best friend. I've got to trust him. I just have to. I'm sorry." He apologizes to her, hoping now that Marlon would lower the gun with him on his side.

"Brody trusted him. Now she's dead too!" Clementine shouts at him, still refusing to back down.

"Shut the fuck up!" Marlon yells, voice once again cracking with emotion.

Marlon closes his eyes, arm trembling for a moment before steadying the gun with a deep breath, keeping the gun aimed down at Clementine. Not knowing any other options, she closes her eyes and lowers her head in defeat, preparing for the incoming bullet.

And it's then that he sees it. The look in Marlon's eyes, the intent clear. They weren't the eyes of his best friend. They were the eyes of a man on the edge, of someone prepared to kill.

If he didn't do something now, Clementine would be dead.

He moves as gently as possible, stepping in front of the gun slowly as not to startle his best friend. Marlon looks as surprised at his actions as he feels himself.

"You don't know what you're doing man." Marlon tells him, sounding tired

"Please, just... Put the gun down. This is how adults do things, not  _us_." He begs Marlon, hoping to talk some sense into him.

To his relief, he sees the other kids advance slowly towards Marlon, knowing now he had back up. Marlon notices this too, panic returning to his expression.

"You don't get it at all, do you?" Marlon starts in desperation.  
"I did it to protect you! All of you! Every, fucking one of you! And if I had to, I'd do it again!"

Just like that, Louis fills his heart break. Clementine was telling the truth. She had found out in a few days what Marlon had been hiding for a whole year. And he nearly let Clementine die over it...

Who was this person, standing in front of him now? This boy, pointing a gun at his friends, seemingly prepared to pull the trigger at any point. It certainly wasn't the boy he grew up with.

"You told me they died!" Tenn’s voice comes from amidst the shouts of the group, anger and hurt clear in his tone.  
"Why would you do something like that?"

Marlon's face trembles with despair, hand still tightly gripped around the revolvers handle.

"I wanted to help them, honestly Tenn I did. Plan some kind of rescue mission but... I couldn't."

"You killed Brody because... She knew?" Tenn asks the question he himself was afraid to ask

"Mhm." Marlon admits quietly, nodding with shoulders hunched in guilt.  
"I didn't mean to... I didn't mean for any of this... I didn't want anyone to be taken... Sophie...Minerva..."

"We can still fix this, Marlon." Clementines voice is gentle and soft. Louis feels immensely grateful that she's still willing to help him, even after the events of the night.

"We're all family here. Only thing any of us got. We can help you." He pleads to Marlon, still aware of how tightly he was holding the revolver.

Marlon’s resolve breaks, looking to the two with a defeated expression. Finally, he lowers his hand, gun slipping out and onto the floor.

"I know I betrayed you. All of you. Just... Just let me leave. I'll go and become... A bad memory."

No. No way he was just going to let his best friend leave like that. They could work this out, no one had to go, no one had to die. Clementine was right, they could still fix this.

"Fine-"

He didn't register it at first, the sound timed perfectly with the booming of the thunder overhead. Yet, the evidence was in front of him, the light from the resulting lightning strike showing the large hole that seemed to just appear in his best friend's forehead.

Marlon collapses lifelessly into Clementine's arms, who drops his body in shock. He can barely breathe as he turns his head to the location of the gunshot.

There AJ stands, revolver in hand and a terrified look on his face. Feeling everyone's stares on him, AJ addresses the group.

"What?" AJ asks, voice filled with confusion, not at all understanding the severity of his actions.  
"I aimed for the head."


	5. Chapter 5

Louis’ brain shuts down at the sight. His best friend was no more, just a body lying in the dirt with a slowly seeping pool of blood around his head.

“No!”

They’re the only words he can seem to form, refusing to believe Marlon was gone. The situation had been dealt with, Marlon was done, he had given up. So why, why had the kid done this?

AJ keeps the gun lowered, still looking unsure as to why everyone was staring at him the way they were. Louis stares down at him in disbelief, this sweet young boy had just pulled the trigger on a person, _a human life_ , with no remorse. Did he not understand what he had done, that this was irreversible?

“He’s dead…You shot him…You’re a murderer” Louis tells him, face twisting in disgust when the boy doesn’t even bother to respond.

He looks over to Clementine who is watching AJ, appearing as shocked as they were at his actions.

“You said you would help him! That we could fix things! What the fuck did you teach this kid!” Louis demands

Ruby drops to her knees beside Marlon, sobbing as she attempts to pick his corpse up from the floor. Louis knows he should be in a similar state, overwhelmed with grief as she was. Instead, he just feels completely _angry_ , that these two people, these outsiders, would just come into their home, _his home_ , and shoot his best fucking friend like it was nothing.

Violet is able to sense the change in mood, looks of rage on the students face as they advance towards the two. Wielding her cleaver, she steps between everyone, weapon outstretched to prevent them from getting any closer.

“Back off! All of you!” She demands

She couldn’t be serious. Marlon was dead, was she really just going to defend them, pretend Marlons murder was nothing, just as they were?

“It was done! Marlon had given up and then…they murdered my _fucking friend_ ”  
His voice begins to warble as the grief finally settles in.

Violet doesn’t respond, instead choosing to turn to Clementine and AJ

“Take AJ, go inside”

Louis clenches his jaw in anger, not wanting to react too suddenly from his emotions. How the fuck could she just let them go like that?

“Oh, just let them go back to the dorms? What happens the next time we do something the kid doesn’t like? Should we expect a bullet too?”

“No, he wouldn’t do that! He wouldn’t hurt any of you!” Clementine responds, finally snapping out of her trance.

Louis looks to her with a snarl on his face, not believing her words. How could she possibly say that the kid wouldn’t hurt any of them when Marlon was lying dead on the floor next to her.

“It was…Marlon threatened us! He killed Brody, and he nearly got me too! AJ did what he had to do.”

“What he had to!? He didn’t have to shoot Marlon in the fucking skull! It was over!”

“We get it, Louis. Just back off- “

“Back off? Are you serious?” Louis interrups Violet harshly, pleading with her to understand how fucked up this was.

Clementine backs up in fear, holding her arm out to shield AJ from the groups fury when they once again move towards them, turning her head to talk to AJ but keeping her line of sight with the rest of the group.

“Let’s go…”

They slowly inch their way past the group, heading towards the entrance to the dormitories. Louis feels the rage leave him, finally succumbing to the anguish that had been clawing its way to the front. Mitch takes off after Clementine and AJ, but he doesn’t _care_.

His legs wobble before giving in, dropping next to Marlon's body. His body folds over, grasping onto Marlon’s blood splattered letterman jacket as his chest heaved with quiet sobs. Mitch finally returns, kneeling beside him and placing a comforting hand on his back.

Violet stand unsure nearby, not knowing how to comfort Louis as he wept over the loss of his friend.

“Louis-“

“Fuck off!” He barks at her, immediately regretting the words at her flinch.  
“Just…Not now.”

“Louis, we…we need to bury him.”

He refuses to move from his spot, unable to do anything but weep over his fallen friend's corpse. Violet sighs quietly from behind him, murmuring gentle instructions to the other students who swiftly comply, heading back into the school.

Eventually, he realizes that they had come back out and were heading towards the graveyard with cups and bowls in their hands. It would take them hours to dig big enough holes for Marlon and Brody.

Louis finally stands from Marlon’s body, heading over to the other students. He couldn’t just let them dig Marlon’s grave on their own while he mourned by himself. They deserved more than that. _Marlon_ deserved more than that.

Violet is the first to notice him, brows furrowed in worry and sympathy.

“Lou, it’s okay, you don’t have to-“

“Don’t. This is…I need to do this.”

The group glances worriedly at one another, ultimately deciding it was best to let him be. They work tirelessly, hours dragging slowly as the graves gradually largen. It's as the dawn finally breaks over the skyline that they drop their utensils, deeming the holes big enough.

Tenn walks out from the dormitories, gingerly approaching the other students. In his hands are two simple wooden crosses, Marlon and Brody's name painstakingly carved into the surfaces. It had only been a year since he last had to make one…

Violet pulls Tenn aside to speak to him as Louis makes his way over to Marlons body. Aasim and Mitch rush over when they see him struggling with Marlons weight, the three of them delicately carrying him over to the grave. They lower his body gently down into it, the others looking to Louis with sympathy at the sight of his pain.

He doesn’t deserve it. Doesn’t deserve their worry. Marlon is the only one they should be thinking of right now.

“You alright?” Ruby asks him as he closes his eyes, breathing deeply to steady himself.

No. No, he wasn’t.

“Let’s just finish this”

He picks up another bowl, scooping up the loose dirt they had piled up and poured it over Marlon’s body. Some of the others join him, their combined efforts helping to fill the grave completely whilst Mitch and Aasim move to gather Brody’s body from the basement. Louis moves to grab one of the crosses Tenn had left, pushing it down into the freshly dug ground.

The sight of it makes him feel so much worse, almost as if taunting him. He could almost believe it had never happened, that this was all just some fucked up nightmare. Yet, the cross remained where it was, Marlon’s name ingraining itself into his eyes.

“Oh god, they’re here…” Aasim mumbles

Clementine and AJ hesitantly make their way over, and he feels his teeth clench at the sight of them. He just wanted some time to grieve, to mourn Marlon at his funeral properly. With them here, he knew it would be tainted with anger.

“So? They knew Brody, didn’t they?” Violet defends the appearance of the two.

“Yeah, but Marlon…”

“Drop it”

He knows Violets right, that they should be able to mourn Brody’s loss too. But to agree with her feels like he would be betraying Marlon.

“Shit” he eventually settles on.

Violet gives him one last worried look before she begins the ceremony. His grief seems to physically weigh him down, his distraught over Marlon's death didn't give him enough time to realize that Brody was gone too. Violets kind words about Brody’s dreams of living by the beach and Tenn’s beautifully drawn picture for her reminding him that she was not only gone, but gone from Marlon’s hands.

Violet finishes her eulogy for Brody, moving over to stand in front of Marlons grave. She looks down at it for a moment, struggling for the right words to say.

“Marlon, he…”Violet trails off, not finding it within herself to forgive him just yet.  
“Fuck, I can’t do it. Not after what he did to the twins and Brody, I-“

“You didn’t even like Brody! You were always mean to her…” Willy interrupts angrily.

Violet recoils at his words, face full of shame at the memories of the last year.

“Still, I cant. Someone else do it.”

“Bitch” Mitch mutters sharply from behind her.

Looks like he was right, they weren’t going to get through this funeral without some form of fight.

“Dude, don’t.”

“What? He was your best fucking friend, Louis. Sure, he wasn’t perfect, but he deserved more than to get gunned down by that kid.” Mitch says, pointing angrily towards AJ.

"You're right, Mitch. Marlon didn't deserve what AJ did to him" Clementine tells him.

Louis was genuinely suprised at her words, not expecting her to admit they were in the wrong.

"I know I'm a murderer. But, I'm going to a... at-" AJ admits to them, struggling on the last word.

"Atone" Clementine finishes for him.

"Yeah, atone it."

He knew the kid was trying to make up for what he had done wrong, but there was something off about the way he was saying it. Almost as if he didn't quite believe what he saying himself.

"Fuck, I can't listen to this"

Louis refuses to look at the two as he walks past them and towards the schools dormitories, trying his best to ignore the group arguing over Marlon's wrong doings and subsequential death.

Marlon was right. It's never easy.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis sighed as he sat down on his bed, placing his head in his hands when the aching in his head he had felt earlier grew stronger. His mind was a mess right now, not knowing what to focus on, or how he should be feeling. The events of the night had left him feeling numb. He was exhausted, but knew sleep wouldn't be an option.

Not for a while, anyway.

The door to his room opens slowly, revealing Tenn who peeked around cautiously in search of him.

"Hey, buddy. You need something?" Louis asks him.

Tenn twiddled with his fingers anxiously, looking around the room for something to focus on other than Louis' tired face.

"I just... I just wanted to say sorry. About Marlon. I know you guys were close and I know you're hurting, so... I'm sorry."

Louis frowns, shooting Tenn a sad smile before shaking his head at his words.

"No need for you to be sorry, bud. Not like you were the one who..." Louis trails off, not wanting to remind himself of Marlons fate.

Tenn nods his head at this, thinking over his next words carefully.

"Violet asked me to come get you, that we need you for the vote."

"Vote?"

"Yeah, some of the others want to kick Clem and AJ out but... But I don't. And neither does Violet. So we're taking a vote" Tenn informs him.

Tenns face shifts into one of sadness and irritation as he looks up at Louis.

"I think it's unfair. We shouldn't just make them leave like that, without a chance to defend themselves...Don't you think it's unfair?"

Truthfully, he hadn't even thought of that as a possibility until now. He was so focused on having lost Marlon that he didn't even begin to think about what they were going to do about Clementine and AJ.

But to kick them out? Could they really do that? In the end, he supposed it came down to whether the group was safer with or without them. He remembers AJs face last night, eyes filled with rage and ready to shoot at a moments notice, all because Clementine had disappeared for a few moments. What would happen the next time something like that happened? Who else would be receiving a bullet? Him? Violet? Tenn? Mitch? Aasim? Willy? Ruby? Omar?

No. They were too important to him. Their lives weren't worth risking over two strangers that had killed one of their own.

Tenn is still staring at him, patiently waiting for Louis' response. Louis can't find it within himself to lie, nor tell him the harsh thoughts his mind was really harbouring.

"Come on, let's go vote."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Violet leans back in Marlon's chair with a frustrated sigh, looking up at the group who watched her expectantly.

"Well, I guess you all know why we're here, so lets just begin." She tells them. "I vote they stay."

"But Marlon, they-"

" _I know_. I know... AJ killing Marlon, it's... I don't even know what it is. But you all saw what I saw last night. You all _heard_ what I heard last night. What Marlon did to Brody, what he did to Minnie and Sophie. Marlon was a fucking liar, and he was a danger to all of us. Who knows what would have happened if Clementine hadn't found out! Who he would have traded away next. I'm not saying that what AJ did was in any way right, but he's a _kid_. A kid that was scared, scared for himself and scared for the only person in his life he knows. Can any of you honestly say you wouldn't have reacted the same?"

The room remains silent at her words, the kids looking at one another with somber expressions.

"So I vote they say." Violet finishes, turning to Mitch who was standing closest. "Mitch? Your vote."

"No. No fucking way. How the fuck can you expect us to keep them around? No way in hell I'm going to trust those two. You ask if we saw what you saw last night? I could ask the same thing. AJ gunned Marlon down like... Like it was nothing!" Mitch's voice rises in volume as he speaks, every word making him angrier.

"Fine." Violet spits, eyes moving over to Willy who was stood next to Mitch.

Willy looks between the two, anxious of making such a decision. He stares at Mitch for a while, who looks back expectedly for his vote.

"I...I think... I think I agree with Mitch."

Violet doesn't respond, instead now turning her attention to Ruby.

"Your turn, Ruby"

"Honestly? I think they should leave. I hate ta' say it, but God knows what else could happen if we let them stay."

"I agree as well." Omar puts forward, nodding at Ruby's words. "They might be capable, but they've also shown just how dangerous they are. I vote they leave."

"Are you serious?" Aasim protests, looking to the group in disbelief. "You're not looking at the big picture here! Just put aside all this shit with Marlon and Brody for a moment. We still have a massive problem, and that is keeping everyone here fed! With Marlon and Brody gone, we've lost two pairs of hands! And now you wanna throw out another two?"

"How can you just say that, talk about Marlon and Brody just as two pairs of hands?" Mitch asks him, anger fueling his words.

"Because if I don't, if we kick them out? We'll be joining them in our own graves. I vote they stay."

Mitch huffs bitterly at his words, crossing his arms but not finding any words to retort with.

"I vote they stay, too." Tenn says, voice timid from the tense atmosphere in the air. "They seem really nice and.. And AJ seemed really sorry for what he did. I don't think they deserve to be kicked out like that."

Violet smiles kindly at Tenn, but it quickly drops as she looks up to Louis.

He had remained silent throughout this whole ordeal, barely even paying attention to everyone's arguments. His mind just kept replaying the events of last night over and over. AJ's rage. The deafening sound of the gunshot. Marlon collapsing to the floor, dead.

"Louis?"

He knows he should have a proper argument. Should spend time here, appealing to both sides. He should feel conflicted, not want to kick these two people out of their new homes.

But that would be a lie.

He had made up his mind a while ago.

"I vote they leave."

Violet's face drops at his words, shaking her head sadly. Silence returns to the room as they sit on their decision.

"I guess thats it, then." Violet says bitterly, looking to the group.  
"Five against three. They have to go."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis and Violet hesitate outside of Minnie and Sophies old room, neither one knowing how to approach the situation.

Clementines gentle tones come from the other side of the door, comforting a very upset sounding AJ.

"We don't know if it didn't work yet. Violet was on our side, she might have convinced the others to let us stay."

"I don't think so... They sounded really, _really_ mad. I don't want to go..."

"I know you don't. Neither do I."

"I like having a place to sleep, knowing we have food. I like the other kids too. Not all of them but Violet, and Tenn, and Louis."

Louis closes his eyes at AJ's words, the words tugging painfully at his heart. Right, he had almost forgotten he actually liked the kid before all this happened.

Violet huffs, bringing a hand up to knock on the door. Her hand twitches in uncertainty, not wanting to have this conversation. She knocks.

They enter the room, both staring down at the floor. Louis with shame, and Violet with sadness at their decision.

He wanted them gone. But now they were here, about to do it, he didn't realise how difficult it was going to be.

"We took the vote. You have to leave." Violet tells them.

Clementine doesn't respond, simply looking to AJ with a sad look, the young boy staring back at her with the same expression. They had both been expecting for this to happen, but it didn't lessen the blow in the slightest.

Violet looks to them in shock when they remain quiet.

"You're not going to say anything? Seriously? You know this is as messed up as I do, you're not even going to fight it?"

"Why bother? You said it yourself, you took the vote." Clementine replies, feeling deflated.

"Yes. We did." Louis states, scowling to Violet.

"This is bullshit! And you'd know it if you weren't always trying to bury your head in the sand."

"Oh, I'm trying to bury my head in the sand? I know you're upset at the vote and you can hate me all you what for that, but you can't tell me the kid isn't dangerous!" He tells her, jabbing a finger in AJ's direction.

AJ gasps at his actions, the boy looking close to tears. The sight causes Louis to frown, lowering his hand shamefully at his outburst. He had to remind himself that despite what AJ had done, he was still just a child.

"We'll give you a few moments to grab your things, then me and Louis will escort you out past the safe zone. It's the least we can do..."

The least they can do? It's more than they deserved.

"We could have happily just dumped you outside the gates."

"Louis!" Violet hisses at him in shock.

He winces, knowing the comment was a bit too harsh. Marlons death was still on his mind, and their actions were nothing short of a betrayal.

"I..." He begins, shaking his head when he's unable to continue the apology before looking to AJ

"Does he still have that gun?"

AJ reaches into his back pocket, pulling out the revolver and holding it laid down in the palm of his hand to show to Louis.

"Hand it over."

"Is this really necessary?" Violet asks

"Hell yes, it's necessary. No way I'm going out into the woods with him holding that thing."

Violet opens her mouth to retort, but Clementine beats her to it.

"Give it to him, AJ."

AJ hands him the gun, somewhat unenthusiasticlly.

"Here"

The gun feels heavy in his hand. This simple thing, a piece of metal, had taken his best friend's life. And he was holding it. His hands begin to shake at at the thought.

"Fuck"

He pockets the gun in his coat, wanting it out of his sight.

"I'll go wait by the gates." Louis mutters, turning and walking out from the room.

He leaves as quick as possible, feeling Violets angry glare burning a hole through his back. Clementine watched him go sadly for a moment, before turning back to AJ with a sigh.

"Come on, AJ. Let's start packing... "


	6. Chapter 6

The last of the days sunlight breaks through the trees as they make their way towards the only road in and out of Ericsons.

Clementine and AJ walk ahead of them as he and Violet scan the treeline for any threats.

"Do you think we'll find another car again?" AJ asks Clementine

"Probably not, kiddo. Cars are pretty hard to find these days, gas too. We got lucky last time..."

"So we're walking..." AJ muttered miserably at the thought.  
"But my shoes are gonna break."

"Well then we'll tape them back up."

"My feet are gonna bleed again"

Again? How much walking did they have to do exactly each day that the kids feet would start bleeding?

"It's not that bad." Louis tells them.  
"I mean, you've done this before. Probably like going home for you guys."

If the look Clementine threw him over her shoulder wasn't enough to shut him up, her next words certainly were. 

"How can you say that? You've lived safely behind walls your whole life. You have no fucking idea what it's like out there."

Violet sighs beside him, as irritated at his words as Clementine was.

"Alright. This is it. Roads that way." Violet tells them, coming to stop after a few minutes of walking in silence.

"Thanks for trying to keep us" AJ tells her sincerely

"You're welcome. I wish we weren't doing this, kicking you out, but... The others won't change their mind about it. Even dead, Marlons still fucking things up."

"Jesus, Violet. Give him some fucking peace." Louis snaps at her.

Violet sighs once again, shaking her head before turning and making her way back down the path towards the school.

The weight of the gun in his jacket reminds him of its presence. For the first time in a while of thinking of the gun, his mind doesn't immediately remind him of Marlon's death. Instead, he envisions Clementine and AJ surrounded by walkers, their lives taken in a way that could have been prevented if they had a weapon.

"Fuck, I must be stupid..."

Clementine and AJ watch him curiously as he approaches, hand in coat as he pulls out their revolver.

"I can't just leave you out here unarmed" Louis answers their quizitive stares as he crouches down next to AJ, offering the young boy his weapon back.

AJ goes to take the gun just a bit too eagerly, to which Louis tightens his grip on the revolver to move AJ's attention from the gun to him. Louis looks to him sternly, hoping his expression says more than he could say.

_Be more careful with it_

"Thanks." Clementine tells him, watching Louis as he stands back up.

He looks to them one last time before they both turn away from one another, the two heading towards the road whilst Louis picks out Violets retreating form and hurries over to her.

Louis slows his pace from a jog to a walk once he catches up to her. She glances sideways at him to acknowledge his presence.

"So.... Uh... I see you're in Marlons chair now?" Louis begins, trying to find a way to lighten the mood.  
"Bet you never expected that, huh?" He jokingly asks her, playfully jabbing her side with his elbow.

"Don't." She tells him firmly, shoving his arm away.

"Oh come on, Vi. I know-"

"No! No, you don't fucking know. Because if you did, this wouldn't be happening right now." Violet stops suddenly, stepping in front of him and jabbing her finger into his chest.  
"And just like usual, you're trying to get around it by throwing around jokes, refusing to face reality like a goddamn coward-"

Violet is interrupted by an echoing gunshot from within the forest, her rant stilling at the sound. They both look to one another, fear and worry in their eyes.

"Clementine" They whisper simultaneously.

They don't even need to ask one another about it, both taking off in the direction of the shouts. Violet pulls Marlons bow from her back as she runs, and Louis copies her by removing Chairles.

It had only been a few moments, how the hell were they already in danger? His mind flashes through the different scenarios, each as terrible as the one before it. Had they been caught off guard by a herd of walkers? Was AJ the one who shot the gun, or had someone else shot at them?

He spots them before Violet does, throwing out an arm to slow her down. If they weren't careful, they would be heard.

Clementine is pressed onto the floor, a rifle to her head and a boot on her neck, holding her in place. AJ is nearby, arm twisted at a painful angle by a man with one arm.

"That's him" Violet hisses from beside him.  
"The thief, the guy from the train station? That's him."

"Who's the woman?"

"I don't know. Only recognise him."

His breath hitches in fear when the woman mentions the school, and then mentions Marlon, demanding Clementine to take them back to the school.

To his surprise, she refuses to. This only serves to anger the other two, the thief tightening his grip on AJ's arm who cries out from the pain.

The woman loses her patience, lifting her boot from Clementines neck only to roughly kick her round the face. Louis feels himself fill with rage at the sight.

Violet seems to have the same feeling as him on the matter, snarling as she begins to move towards them. Louis grabs onto the back of her jacket to stop her.

"Let go of me!" She demands quietly in a hushed tone.  
"We need to help them!"

"I know! But we have to be careful. One wrong move, and we could get ourselves killed, get _them_ killed."

Violets face drops at the thought, looking over to the raiders then back to Louis.

"All right, but we need to get closer. I'll get a better shot, and hopefully you'll be close enough to hit them."

They follow the plan, creeping steadily towards the group. They both remain crouched within the bushes in the hopes they won't be seen.

"RUN!"

Clementines shout startles them, both unaware she had seen them advancing. Violet looks to him, clearly not wanting to just leave them like this.

He doesn't want to either, but he knows Clementine is right. They need to move. Their element of surprise was gone, and staying will likely result in one of them receiving a bullet to the head.

He takes off, Violet's footsteps pounding just behind him. Gunshots echo in the distance and he winces at every one, praying they hadn't met their mark.

Neither of them stop running until the schools gates come into view. Feeling safe, they stop for a moment to catch their breath, hunched over in exhaustion.

"Fuck. Fuck!" Violet shouts once she recovers.  
"How could we have done that? Just leave them?"

"I'm sorry, Vi. It's not like we had much of a choice. Besides, it's not like it's something we should be risking our lives over-"

"Not risking our lives over? Are you serious?"

Louis clenches his jaw at this, shaking his head.

"No, Vi. They're not. They're the ones who-"

"I know Marlons death is hurting you, and I know you're blaming them for it. But what they did just then?  
We kicked them out, said some awful things to them. They had a gun to their heads, a boot to her neck, and they had every opportunity to save their own skin and just give us up.  
Did she do that? No, she still told us to run. They. Protected. Us. How can you say they're not worth it?"

Fuck. He knew she was right. As much as he hated them right now, she was right. Despite all of it, Clementine was still trying to help them. They didn't deserve to die.

"They might still be alive..."

The anger drains out of Violet, who simply shakes her head sadly at him.

"We don't know. And now, we probably never will."

She leaves him with his own thoughts, making her way slowly towards the schools entrance. Louis looks back behind him to the woods, part of him expecting to see Clementine and AJ appear from within the trees to join him as he walks through the schools gates.

Question is, would he be happy to see them? To have them walk back into the school?

After today, he wasn't too sure.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis finds himself in the music room once again, practicing the song he had been writing for... For...

Dammit. He never did get to play it for her.

"WALKER!"

He stops playing, throwing his head back and closing his eyes with an exasperated sigh. Never could get a minute of peace in this place.

"Violet! Louis! They came back!"

His eyes snap open, looking out the window to see Willy clambering down the watch tower to find either him or Violet.

He knew Violet was probably holed up in Marlons office. The switch to leader was difficult for her, not used to having to be the one to plan, to make the decisions for the group.

But she was the only one who could do it. No way in hell _he_ could.

Willy points jerkily towards the school gates as Louis exits the schools main building, running over to meet him.

"Clementine! And AJ! They came back! And there was a walker who could talk!"

Louis raises an eyebrow in disbelief at the last part of Willy's statement. Not the thing to focus on right now, though.

He heads over to the gate, placing his hands on his hips in annoyance when he catches the sight of Clementine approaching the school.

What were they thinking, coming back here? Just because he and Violet didn't want to see them dead didn't mean they were going to be welcomed back with open arms.

His previous line of thinking goes straight out the window when Clementine collapses to the floor in exhaustion, AJ held tightly in her arms.

The gates squeak as he shoves them open, sprinting over to Clementines side and crouching down to her. Her head is dropped low as she recovers, AJ's sweatshirt torn and streaked with blood.

"Shit, is he?" Louis asks, fearing each possible answer. Bitten? Dying? Already dead?

"He got shot. He's got a fever."

Oh, thank god. Certainly better than what he was expecting.

"Come on, let's get him inside."

"I can't..."

Like he once did for her, he lifts the boy up into his arms and holds him close. AJ stirs at the movement, whimpering from the pain.

"Its okay, little dude. I've got you."

They make their way hastily inside the school, the other kids grouped around at the ruckus Willy had been making outside.

Ruby notices AJ's wound immediately, rushing over to Louis to inspect the injured boy.

"I've got what we need upstairs, come on."

Louis follows Ruby, careful not to jostle AJ as they make their way up the stairs. He lowers AJ gently down to the couch next to Marlons office at Ruby's instructions, the sudden change waking the boy.

"He's burning up. Body's trying to fight infection, poor little guy." Ruby tells them as she places the back of her hand delicately on AJ's forehead.

"Clem? Clem!"

Louis's chest clenched painfully as AJ cries out in panic, momentarily unaware of his surroundings. Ruby's attempts to quieten the boy prove to be futile as AJ continues to panic.

"Hey, hey. Its alright, kiddo. I'm here. Ruby and Louis are going to take care of you, alright?" Clementine reassures him as she kneels beside Louis, Ruby rushing off to find her medical supplies.

Her words don't seem to reassure AJ all too well, eyes rapidly scanning the area in alarm.

"What do we do when we're scared? We-"

"We don't let it take over." AJ finishes for her, taking a second to calm himself before exhaling in relief.  
"I'm good, Clem."

"Clementine, please. We need to talk."

Clementines comforting smile drops at Violets words, reluctantly leaving AJ's side to join Violet in Marlon's old office.

Ruby rushes back to his side, medication and various other medical supplies in hand.

"Anything I can do to help?" Louis asks her, feeling helpless at the situation.

"Just try and comfort him as best as you can while I take a look." Ruby replies, ever so carefully peeling AJ's bloodied shirt from his abdomen.

That, he can do.

AJ winces at the discomfort, stifling a pained groan as he clenched his fists.

"Hey, little dude. It's gonna be alright, just you see. Ruby's gonna patch you up in no time." Louis assures him.

"Louis?" AJ asks at the sound of his voice, turning his head to face him.

"Yeah, buddy. It's me."

"You're okay?"

God. Here the kid was, bleeding from a gunshot wound, and he was still worried about him?

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks to you guys." Louis tells him with a grateful smile.

"Alright, the bleeding appears to have mostly stopped, and Clementine managed to get most of the shrapnel out. I've applied some anti-biotic ointment to the wounds and he'll have to take regular medication to bring the fever down..."

"But?" Louis asks, sensing the word at the end of her sentence.

"But... One of these wounds seems a little deep. The others will be fine with some gauze, but I think this one is gonna need some stitches."

Louis sighs, knowing the kids pain isn't over with just yet.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to hold him down. He might move from the pain, and I don't wanna damage him more than he already is."

Louis nods, turning back to AJ and placing one hand on his shoulder, the other on his leg.

"Sorry about this, buddy." He whispers softly to AJ as Ruby begins.

AJ's reaction is immediate, body thrashing upwards and whimpering through clenched teeth at the pain. Louis focuses his efforts on holding him down, preventing him from moving around too much. He shuts his eyes, unable to bear the sight and wishing he could block out AJ's cries of pain.

AJ falls quiet as Ruby finishes her stitching, carefully wrapping the rest of his wounds in gauze and lowering his shirt back down. Seeing him asleep, she places her hand on his head once again and nods, seemingly satisfied with the results.

"Temperatures already droppin'. I think he's gonna be okay."

Louis sighs in relief, rocking back on his heels and running a hand down his face.

"God. What kind of sick bastard would do this to a kid?"

Stomping from the stairs stops Louis from answering, an infuriated looking Mitch appearing at the top. He takes one look at AJ on the couch before ripping open the office door and slamming it behind him as he enters. It's not long after that the shouting begins.

AJ stirs at the loud sounds, to which Ruby huffs angrily and storms inside to the office herself in an attempt to stop the commotion from within. Louis stays where he is, watching the boy go in and out of sleep with a guilty expression.

"This is my fault." He mutters to himself.  
"I just couldn't let things go. And now, you're shot. All because of me.. I..."

Louis shakes his head, angry and disappointed with himself.

He looks back up to the sleeping boy, hoping he can still hear him.

"I'm so sorry, little dude. Please be okay..."

The doors to Marlons office opens, Clementine stepping out and looking over to them. She no doubt heard his little confession.

"I...."

_I'm sorry. I fucked up. This should never have happened. I should never have voted to kick you out._

It's what he should say, what he's on the brink of saying. But everytime he looks at her, he sees Marlons blood on her face. Brodys blood on her hands. Those same hands dropping Marlons body to the ground.

Instead, he closes his eyes, walking past her and down the stairs with his head hung in shame.

He's not ready yet.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

The sight of AJ's ripped and bloodied shirt plague his mind, unable to stop thinking of it. An idea pops into his head and he quickly changes direction, making his way to Tenn's room.

Tenn is sitting on his bed with a sad expression, head snapping up when he hears Louis enter the room.

"Louis! Is AJ...?"

"He's alive. Ruby says he should be okay."

"Can I go see him?"

"Sorry, bud. He's resting at the moment." Louis tell him, Tenn's face turning to disappointment.

"Kind of a long shot, but have you still got your old clothes? Any shirts you might have had from when you came to the school?"

Tenn frowns as he thinks.

"Maybe? Why?"

"I was thinking we could maybe give them to AJ? His shirt got a bit messed up, so-"

"Yeah, sure!" Tenn nods eagerly, already rummaging through his closet for his old clothes.

He reappears, holding a folded pile of small shirts and handing them over to Louis.

"Thanks, Tenn. I'm sure AJ will love this." Louis tells him, smiling at the sight of the Disco Broccoli shirt. He really missed cartoons...

"I'm glad they're back. Its fun to draw with AJ and Clementines always really nice to me"

The door to the room opens, revealing Violet on the other side.

"Oh. I was actually about to go look for you. Kind of need to talk. " She tells Louis, who places the shirts down on the nearest dresser.

"Can you give us a minute, Tenn?" She asks the young boy.

"Sure. I'll see you guys at dinner."

Tenn closes the door as he leaves, the room becoming enveloped with an awkward silence.

"So..." Violet begins.  
"We have a bit of a problem."

"A bit?"

"Those people that attacked Clementine and AJ? They're part of a group. Same group that Marlon traded Minnie and Sophie to."

"Shit. I kinda guessed that much."

"That's not all. Apparently their group is at war, and they need more people to fight it. That's why they took Minnie and Sophie... And... And now they need more people. Us, specifically."

"What?"

"Without Marlon here to hand us over, they're just going to come and take us by force. Make us fight in their war."

Fuck, that was... There's no way they could fight off a group of adults, one's with guns and God knows what else, no less.

"What are we gonna do?" He asks her desperately.

Violet doesn't answer, instead watching him, unsure of what his reaction will be to her next words.

"Clementine, she... She's going to stay. To help us." Violet quickly finishes at his annoyed look.  
"She helped to create a plan of defence for us, on how to stop the raiders. Said she's done it before, apparently. In return, we're going to let her stay and help look after AJ, at least until the raiders come."

That sounded... Fair. He supposed. If they were going to help stop them being kidnapped, the least they could do was look after AJ as he recovers.

"Have you told the others? How'd they take it?"

Violet looks suprised that he isn't disagreeing, but quickly answers.

"Well as can be, I suppose. They're happy to let them stay, for now... Well-" Violet stops herself with a sarcastic laugh.  
"Mitch wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea to begin with, but... I think he's warmed up to her slightly from their time in the greenhouse."

"Mmm, yes, well. Trapped in a small place with nothing but walkers will usually do that." Louis jokes.

They laugh together for the first time in a long time, Violet relieved to see him taking the news as well as possible.

"Okay, okay." She tells him as their laughter dies down.  
"Work starts tomorrow morning. Clementine wants to put barbed wire on the walls and Mitch is preparing bombs, so I expect you up and out early with the rest of us."

"Yes, ma'am" He tells her, bowing for added effect.

Violet rolls her eyes at the sight, unable to fight off the smile on her face and walking out of the room.

Louis' smile lingers as he turns back to the dresser, picking up the shirts and making his way out of the room.

After a few moments of walking down the dark halls, he finds himself standing outside of Clementines room. Taking a deep breath, he lifts one hand to knock before entering.

AJ is laid out on the bed, small hand cautiously holding the area above his wound. Clementine is kneeled next to him, head turned to the door as Louis enters.

"Hey. Brought you these." Louis tells them, motioning to the shirts in his hands.  
"I noticed his old one got ripped up, when he..."

When he got shot. When he got hurt, because you guys protected us. Protected me.

Clementine watches him in silence as he places the old clothes on their dresser.

"These were Tenn's, from before he got here. He was around AJ's age at the time, so should be his size." Louis answers the silence as he makes his way over to the two.

"Thanks, for carrying him in earlier." She tells him, voice lowered as not to disturb AJ. 

"No problem." He responds softly.  
"So, I hear we have a greenhouse again. And bombs..."

"Mitch's idea."

"I figured." Louis mutters jokingly.  
"Everyone seems okay with letting you stay..."

Clementine looks to him in slight shock at the statement.

"For now, anyway." He adds on quickly with arms raised, not wanting to give her false hope.

Clementine doesn't answer, looking back to AJ as she thinks of what to say.

"Everyone else is okay with us staying. What about you?"

Oh boy, if that wasn't a question.

Honestly? He was fine with it. He didn't want to admit it, but AJ was hurt and he couldn't just force them out in that condition.

"Its fine. While he gets better"

"And after that?"

"I don't know, Clementine." He tells her honestly, voice coming out agitated.

AJ's stirs from his sleep, waking up at Louis' slightly raised voice.

"Hey, kiddo. How do you feel?" Clementine asks, all attention focused on AJ

"Better. Still hurts..."

"I know." Clementine responds sadly.

AJ notices Louis standing nearby, face lighting up at the sight of him

"Hi, Louis"

"Hey, little dude" Louis responds with a smile and a wave.

"I missed you. Are we friends again?"

AJ's voice was alight with hope, and that just crushed Louis even more. Maybe one day he could forgive AJ, see themselves as friends. But today was not that the day.

"Just get some sleep, okay?"

He knows he wimped out, that he should have just said what the kid wanted to hear. He was only five, after all. Louis begins to walk from the room, unsure if he can find anything else to say.

"Louis?" Clementine says his name, stopping him in his tracks. He cocks his head to show he's listening.

"I really missed you."

Fuck.

Fuck.

This wasn't fair. How... How could she miss him? After what he said, after what he did? He hated it. Hated that she missed him. Because the worst part of all?

He really missed her, too.

"Missed you, too" He confesses before he can stop himself.  
"Goodnight"

He shuts the door quietly as he leaves, turning to it and softly leaning his forehead against the wood, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm his thoughts.

Oh, how he had missed her...


	7. Chapter 7

It takes tireless hours over the next few weeks to prepare everything for the upcoming raider attack. With Clementines help, Violet is able to create an efficient plan, giving out tasks best suited for each individual at the school.

It's no surprise that Mitch is on bomb duty, spending most of his time holed up in the basement as he tries to make an explosive with what little resources they have.

Aasim, Tenn, Ruby and Willy work on, uh, " _decorations_ ". Willy puts his log crafting skills to use by sharpening what wood is available, Aasim and Ruby helping to put them up as barricades.

Tenn is more than happy to be sat in the court yard, using his pencils and paintbrushes on stripped pieces of cloth. Although, he's not exactly happy with _what_ he has to write out...

Meanwhile, Louis was placing the last of the barbed wire on the schools walls. He lifted an arm to wipe away the sweat on his brow with an exhausted groan, the heat of the day taking a toll on him.

"I don't know what's weirder."

He looks down from his perch to see Violet observing him, crossed arms and an amused smirk on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"You without your coat, or you doing some work."

"Oh, Hardy Har Har" Louis laughs sarcastically, dropping to the ground next to her with a grunt.

"So, how's everything looking?" Louis asks as they walk towards the court yard, admiring the changes that had been put into place over a short period of time.

"Everything _seems_ alright. Out here, at least. Then again, I have no fucking clue." Violet huffs.

"Why don't you ask Clementine? You said she's done something like this before, right?"

Violet nods thoughtfully, looking to him with a worried expression.

"How are you guys doing, exactly? Haven't really seen you two talk all that much..." Violet asks

"No, no we haven't, I... I guess I've been too busy, y'know?"

"Too busy?"

"With everything that's been going on, all this shit with the raiders, I..." He trails off at Violets unimpressed look.

"Guess there's no use lying to you, huh?" he says with a sad chuckle. "I want to talk to her, I do. But..."

"Marlon?"

To her surprise, he shakes his head.

"I've done a lot of thinking over the past two weeks. About what Marlon did, to the twins, to Brody. What he was _going_ to do with Clem and AJ."

He looks to Violet, feeling ashamed.

"You were right from the start. I just couldn't, or, _wouldn't_ listen. I should never have blamed them for it, for what AJ did. He reacted in a way a scared little boy would, and I somehow forgot that's exactly what he was."

Violet keeps her head turned towards him, nodding to encourage him to continue.

"She must _hate_ me for it. The both of them should."

"No, Louis. She doesn't. Honestly? I think she misses being able to talk to you."

"I know. She actually told me, the night AJ was shot. And that's the fucked up part, isn't it? After all I put her through, put them through, she still missed me..."

"So...you can't talk to her because?"

"Because I don't know how." He admits to her.  
"I have no clue what I would say. How to make things better. I just want things to go back to the way they were."

"Everything that you just told me? About Marlon, about blaming AJ, that you missed her? Tell her exactly that."

Louis sighs, rubbing his arms nervously.

"I will, I will. Do... Do you really think that'll work?" He asks shyly

"Don't know till you try." She answers honestly.

Well, what else has he got to lose? They're not exactly talking to each other at the moment, either talking to her will go well or... he'll be right back where he started.

"I think I'm gonna head inside, call it a day."

Violet frowns at this, grabbing him by the arm to stop him from entering the building.

"Uh, no. You're not. We've still got work to do out here."

"Oh, come on, Vi-"

"Louis, the raiders could be here any second. Any minute we're not working on our defences is a minute wasted. Each missed moment is an opportunity for them to get in here."

"Alright, fine! Fine. I get it. Just let me grab my coat from inside." He asks, feeling the evening chill approaching as the sun begins to set.

She narrows her eyes in suspicion before letting go of his arm somewhat reluctantly.

It takes him only a few moments to grab his neatly folded coat from his room, looking longingly to his bed as the days exhaustion seemed to creep in.

He walks past the schools staircase as he makes his way back outside, looking up to the top. His gaze lingers on Marlons old office for a while, the room seemingly beckoning him, calling out to him.

It had been for a while, truth be told. He just never had the strength or bravery to go back in since they had taken the vote. Until now, that is.

Violet can wait a few moments, right?

The door complains as he opens it, the heavy wood requiring some extra force to shove it open. The room is bathed in natural light from the window leading to the balcony, giving him a clear view of everyone working outside.

A flash of red by Marlons desk catches his eye, and his chest pangs with sadness once he realises what it is.

Marlons bow.

Louis picks up the bow delicately, somehow fearing it will crumble to pieces in his hand. Marlon never did trust him with his pride and joy...

He had let him try once, though. After months of Aasim complaining about Louis' poor aim when it came to hunting, Marlon let him try out his compound bow to see if it made a difference.

Don't ask him how, but Marlons foot was very nearly skewered in the attempt.

After that, he was strictly on trap duty...

This was different though. In a few days, he wouldn't be aiming a bow at defenceless little bunnies. He would be aiming it at people. People armed to the teeth, ready to take him and everyone he cares about away.

If he wanted to prevent that, he was going to have to get a hell of a lot better. Fast.

He makes his way over to the desk, to the picture Marlon had of the two of them together after baseball practice.

"You were trying to protect everyone...  
You went about it the wrong way, but you were. Always have been. And while you were doing that, I was here. Messing about. Leaving you to do everything." He confessed quietly to Marlons picture.

"I'll do my best to look after them, Marlon. I promise."

Louis tucks the bow away in his jacket, making his way downstairs with the archery range outside in mind. If he's lucky, Violet was somewhere inside, putting up further barricades.

He peeks outside cautiously, not seeing any sign of the blonde.

So far, so good...

"Louis?"

So close...

"Hey, Vi. What's up?"

"You sure took your time in there." She states accusingly.

"Oh, well, uh - Actually, I was thinking-"

"I just checked the wall out back. There's a few weak spots I'm worried about, that the raiders could take advantage of. Could you go board it up?"

Louis groans at the thought, not wanting to do any more defence work.

"Come on, Vi. I'm sure it's fine. There's some stuff I wanted to do-"

"What stuff?"

"Nothing, it's just... Its important."

"Goddamit, Louis. Take this seriously for once in your life!" She raises her voice, patience running thin.

Whoa, hey. That wasn't fair. He HAD been taking this seriously, he just wanted a few moments to do his own thing.

"I've been taking this seriously for days! Almost two weeks!"

"So has everyone else! Get over yourself!"

It's only then that he notices Clementine stood at the doorway, clearing having heard evey word of their argument. His face flushes hot with shame, pushing past Violet and over to the archery range.

Grabbing a nearby quiver, he places it onto the tattered couch nearby. He picks an arrow from it, nocking the arrow just as Marlon showed him. He adjusts his stance as best as remembers Marlon would, taking a deep breath to steady his aim.

He releases.

It goes straight into the tree.

"Shit"

He grabs another arrow, preparing to fire again.

"Whats going on over here?"

Clementines voice startles him, turning to see her watching him with curiosity. He wasn't exactly expecting her to be the one to approach him first, but it defenitly made it easier to talk to her.

Suppose there's no time like the present...

"In a few days, or hours, the raiders will be here. Burn down our home and kill or kidnap us." He tells her truthfully, shrugging the bow helplessly at the offending arrow impaled in the tree. "And then it won't matter how much I sucked at this..."

"The raiders aren't going to burn anything or kill anyone. I won't let that happen. I promise."

Louis smiles sadly, the words comforting yet familiar.

"You sound like Marlon."

Uh, maybe not the best way to approach the subject...

"I mean, not about fighting. But... When he was trying to cheer us all up." He quickly back-peddles.

Louis returns to his practice, firing more arrows at the target as he continues.

"For years, I'd sit and mess around while my best friend was left with all the responsibility." Louis tells her, his next arrow soaring over the wall.

"All the tough calls"

Another arrow goes into the ground

"All the sleepless nights."

The arrow hits the target, slightly off, but in the target no less, with a satisfying sound, shaking from the force.

"And eventually, a bullet in the head." He finishes, lowering the bow now he had finally hit the target.

Okay...time to face her. To face... This.

"And I didn't do a damn thing about it. And then when AJ shot him? I blamed you. Both of you. If I could take it back, I would. I knew that the night you came back. I still do."

"I forgive you."

She... She does?

"I don't blame you for hating us after what we did. No matter what Marlon did, AJ shouldn't have just shot him like he did."

"I'm sorry." He whispers, ashamed. "For kicking you guys out, for AJ getting shot. I should never have done that. All because I couldn't get over Marlon. I mean-"

He cuts himself off with an annoyed huff.

"He was my best friend, almost like my brother. But the things he did? They were fucked up."

He looks down to the bow in hand, knowing he won't get much better than how he is now. He looks up to Clementine. It won't be enough, but it's a start.

"Here" He says, offering the bow.  
"You take it"

"Are you sure? It's Marlons." She asks, reaching for the bow hesitantly.

"Yeah, it was. And he used it to protect the school, before... Before he stopped."

She takes the bow from his hand, eying it appreciatively.

"If you wanna shoot a bit, go ahead." Louis tells her, pointing to the target. "In _that_ direction, please." He jokes.

Well, not that it would surprise him if she DID take a shot at him...

She rolls her eyes at the comment, but he's pleased to see the half grin she's fighting off her face. She goes into her own stance after grabbing a handful of arrows from the quiver he had placed down earlier. Like him, she takes a deep breath after she nocks the arrow, taking a few moments to aim.

She releases, the arrow firing through the air and hitting the bullseye straight on. She doesn't stop to comment nor brag (as he DEFINITELY would in her place), firing arrow after arrow, Louis watching in stunned silence as each one hits the target again and again.

She doesn't need to say anything, but he can practically feel the smugness radiating off her.

With those skills, they wouldn't have to worry about the raiders at all.

"Damn. Remind me to never piss you off while standing at a moderate distance with a big red circle painted on my chest" Louis jests, unable to stop himself from teasing her.

She smiles at him properly this time, the first in a long time, the sight creating butterflies in his stomach. He had missed this, simply talking to her. Teasing her. Seeing her smile.

' _She's definitely much more adorable when she's happy_ ' His mind helpfully supplies. ' _We should keep her happy_ '

"And Clem?" He asks, stopping her as she moves to check on the others. "Thank you. For all of it."

It works, her shy smile returning at his comment, the happiness reaching her eyes that seemed to smile back at him.

Yes, he definitely missed this. Missed _her_. Now that he had her back, there was no way he was just going to let her go again.

The smile stays on his face as he continues to practice, mostly now with one of the old bows the school had for archery, since Clementine would be using Marlons bow for the fight. Nothing could wipe the smile off his face, not even the sight of the arrows missing the target miserably.

"Because your idea is boring and stupid!"

On second thought, that might do it.

Willy and Aasim storm out from the main building, shoulders tense as they argue.

"Oh, I'm being stupid? If you could hear yourself!" Aasim retaliates

"Guys, what the fuck!?" Violet interrupts, angry at their fighting.

"Violet told us to work on the traps together, but Aasim won't listen to anything I say!"

"That doesnt mean you have to scream at eachother" Louis attempts to de-escalate the situation.

"Stay out of this!" Aasim snaps at him, turning to talk to Clementine and Violet

"I've got an idea for bricks traps. We load some bags up with bricks and drop them onto the raiders, _if_ they get into the admim building. Willy here wants to use a giant idiotic swinging log to take out one raider at most. It's completly stupid!"

"You're stupid!"

"I say we go with the brick traps. Sounds more practical." Clementine decides, interrupting the brewing argument.

"Mine's too!" Willy shouts upset, defending his trap.

"No, it's not. It's exactly the kind of thing a child would think up. A child who has no idea what he's up against-"

Aasim has the wind knocked out of him at Willy's punch, his fist landing straight into his abdomen. Willy looks shocked at his own actions, running away when his emotions begin to boil over.

"Are you okay?" Louis asks, concerned when Aasim remains doubled over from pain.

"Yeah. Fine. Shit!" Aasim responds, remaining slightly crouched over as he makes his way over to the couch by the fire.

"Christ, we'll all kill each other before the raiders do..." Violet mutters miserably, the stress of the past few weeks catching up to her.

Time to work his charm

"What we need is something to break the tension." Louis begins, grabbing Clementines attention.

They make their way over to the couch, Louis sitting next to a gloomy looking Aasim.

"Hey, buddy. How's it hanging."

"Dude, fuck off."

Okay, ouch.

"Sitting around sulking isn't going to fight off the raiders, or turn that frown upside down"

"You get more annoying every day."

Okay, DOUBLE ouch.

"Regardless, " He comments, giving Aasim a slight glare. "I've come up with a plan to make everyone feel better. And that plan, is a game." He informs the group cheerfully, holding out his deck of cards.

"We haven't played a game in weeks, since that night with Marlon..." Violet says as AJ and Tenn make their way over, intrigued at the prospect of a group game.

Louis looks over to Aasim, noticing him infatuated with a certain red head of theirs.

"I mean, if you wanna go ask Ruby to come play, I don't mind waiting." Louis teases him, lowering his tone suggestively.

"Shut up dude! I swear to God." Aasim shushes him, face already burning.

"You got a crush on Ruby?" Violet teases with Louis

"Whats the game?" Violet asks Louis once Aasim turns away from their taunting smiles.

"Truth or dare!" Louis declares dramatically as he shuffles the cards.

"You don't use cards in truth or dare"

Spoil sport.

"You do in this version. Highest card gets to ask, lowest card has to answer." He explains, handing out the cards.

Thye flip over their first cards, showing them to eachother. He can see from here that Clementine has the lowest card and, judging by the look on Violets face, she has the high card.

"This should be fun." Violet comments, confirming his thought.

"Alright... Marry, Fuck, Kill"

"Vi!" Tenn stops her, appalled by the language.

"Fine. Marry, _flip_ , kill. Ruby, Aasim or..."

Violet stops for a moment, eyes resting on Louis with a knowing smirk. He widens his eyes in panic, giving small shakes of his head that he hopes Clementine won't notice.

Don't you do it, Vi. Don't you dare-

"James, that guy who saved you"

Oh, thank Christ.

"Oh my god..." Clementine complains

"Ya gotta answer. Thems the rules." Louis says cheerfully, relieved Violet didn't mix him in this.

"Hmm... Lets see. I would marry... Ruby." Clementine settles on after a moment of thinking.

"Look out, Aasim! Clems totally gonna swoop in and steal your dream!"

"Dude, shut up."

Okay, maybe don't push Aasim too far.

"Um, I would flip..."

"Flip. Flip. Flip." Louis jokes, trying his best not to laugh when AJ joins his chants, no clue as to what they were referencing.

Uh, he hoped...

"James."

James? Random guy in the woods, James? Guy wearing _human skin_ , James?

"That's an... Intetesting choice." Violet comments

"Funny, you pronounce _horrifying_ differently than I do."

"Didn't you say he wore skin? Like, walker skin? I wonder if he would take it off to... You know what? Never mind." Violet stops herself, shuddering at the thought.

He had to agree, that really wasn't a pleasent image...

"So that means you're killing?

"This is amazing."

"Aasim!"

"Oh, thank god." Aasim mutters gratefully.

Was he serious? He can't help but feel offended on Clems behalf.

"What, are you serious? You'd rather die than marry or flip Clem?"

"Uh, n-n-no! That's not what I meant!" Aasim stutters over his words in a panic

"This is great. We're laughing, we're bonding. It's a nice break from thinking about homicidal assholes sneaking into our home to kidnap us."

"Not if you bring it up." Violet says warningly

"On to round two!" Louis declares, throwing a wink in Clementines directions.

They return to the cards, once again flipping the top one to face everyone.

"I win!" Clementine shouts gleefully, seeing she had the high card

"And poor Aasim loses" He tells the group

"Definitely a dare"

"Okay, fine. Do your worst." Aasim says, rolling his eyes with a smile.

Oh, that sounded like a challenge to him. And judging by the look on Clementine face, she took it the same way.

"I dare you to ask Ruby... For a kiss"

She sure doesn't disappoint

"What!"

"The most legimiate of dares."

To his credit, Aasim doesn't back out. He rises from the couch, the closest thing to fear Louis has ever seen in his eyes as he makes his way over to Ruby. Aasim begins earnestly, from what he can tell.

Doesn't stop Ruby from punching him in the arm, though.

The group erupts into laughter at poor Aasim who makes his way back over to them in defeat.

"Well, we've learnt a lot about our friend Aasim today. Mostly, that he has no romantic charm what so ever." Louis jokes at Aasims expense.

"Shut. Up"

"Look sharp, y'all! It's time for round three"

Clementine is once again the unlucky loser, sporting a miserably low number. She looks round the group for the winner, finally landing on Louis who holds his winning card with a proud smile on his face.

"I got it. We've been pretty hard on poor Aasim here, teasing him about sweet Ruby. Seems only fair we tease someone else about unrequited love... So... Clem... Anyone here you like like?"

"Like like? What are you, six?" Violet asks in exasperation 

"Seven, thank you."

"Yeah... I've definitely got feelings for someone..."

His head snaps over to Clementine in shock. Truthfully, he wasn't expecting her to like anyone, let alone admit she did.

His mind races with the possibilities as to who it was. His first guess is Violet, the two having becoming fast friends over the past few weeks. He could easily see it leading to more.

The part of himself buried deep down, the guilty part he tries not to show, rears its head. He realises its a feeling of hope. The selfish hope that maybe, just maybe, its him.

"Oh ho! Who is it?" Louis asks enthusiastically, burning with the desire to know.

"Nope. Not telling."

Damn. He could ask if he wins again, but he doesn't want to push his luck. An angry Clementine is a scary Clementine...

Instead, they move onto the next round of cards, everyone slightly eager to move on from the subject.

"Aasim: You have the high card. And the loser is... Tennesse."

"What's something you never told anyone, because you were afraid they'd make fun of you?" Aasim asks

"You got this." He encourages the anxious looking Tenn.

"Umm... I think... I think that someday, walkers will go away. The world goes in cycles, right? Ice age, stone age, a few other ages? This will be the same, where it will eventually end... And a new one will replace it."

Tenns words impact him, his vision one he had never thought of himself.

"An age without walkers. Like it used to be." Clementine reminisces sadly beside him.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that? Did I ruin the game?"

"That's... Beautiful, Tenn. I never thought of it that way." Clementine tells him, just as Louis was about to say a similar statement.

Everyone at the group smiles, thinking back to the days where they weren't scrounging for food, every movement careful not to have their lives taken, either from humans or the undead.

Well, everyone is smiling but one.

"What's wrong, AJ?" Tenn asks

"I don't know what it's like... All of you do, but I don't." AJ says, saddened by the fact.

Oh. Right. Of course he wouldn't. He was born into this world, raised to survive in it. He wouldn't have any memories of a simpler time.

"You know what, little dude? It's okay that you don't. Believe me, the world before this one was pretty shitty." Louis comforts him

It seems to work, the boy beaming up at him in relief. This in turn causes Clementine to smile genuinely to Louis in gratitude, to which he returns.

"I think that's a good place to call it." he announces, most of them standing to make their way indoors.

Ruby comes over to inform Violet she's on lookout duty, with Clem shortly after. Eager to help, AJ asks to join, to which Ruby gratefully accepts the help.

Soon, its only himself, Clementine and Violet left at the fire. He sees Aasim apprehensivly approach Willy, who sits on the steps to the school with a glum look. Louis nods to them when Clementine looks up at him, diverting her attention to them as Aasim attempts to patch things up with Willy. To their relief, Willy accepts the invitation to help, apologising for hitting him.

"I'm going to go check the back walls on the bell tower before bed, make sure everything is secure." Violet tells them as she stands.

"Need any help?" Clementine asks

"Sure, if you want."

"You could always come help me instead."

The words just slip out of his mouth before he can stop them, his brain trying to find a way to stop her from going.

He just wanted to spend some more time with her....

Quick, quick, think of something to do.

"I'm on piano duty."

He can feel Violets eye roll from here.

"What? Need to get some practice in before you chop it up for some firewood. There's a project I want to try, but I need a second person." He tells Clementine, unable to bare looking at her as he makes his way to the school.

He and Violet walk side by side only for a moment, splitting away as they take their respective paths; Violet towards the bell tower and himself towards the music hall.

The guilty part of him remains, holding onto that slight hope that Clementine might just follow him. Despite this, he doesn't bother to turn to see if she's following as he pushes open the doors to the main building.

After all, why would she pick him?


	8. Chapter 8

The flickering flames of the candles sat upon his piano are his only guiding light as he plays. Gentle music fills the air, the song he had written for Clementine harmonising with his own thoughts.

Louis tries not to wince as he hits a key, the piano playing the note wrong. He wasnt lying back at the game, he really did need some help to tune the piano. Not that anyone ever wanted to help him. For now, he would have to make do.

Someone enters the room to his right, most likely one of the others coming to tell him to stop playing. He turns, apology at the ready, but feels his heart skip at the sight of Clementine watching him play.

"Well, well, well. Looks like AJ isn't the only one charmed by my _alluring_ music."

"Mhm. Sure, Louis. Whatever you say." Clementine responds sarcastically with a laugh.

Louis looks down to the floor, confidence faltering.

"I... Uh... I was kind of expecting you to go with Violet."

"Nope. I'm here." She tells him softly

"That you are."

The room falls silent as this, the two gazing at one another before Louis breaks the tension.

"Thought I could tickle the ivories one last time before all hell breaks loose."

"That's a good idea. Haven't heard music in a while..."

"Some would say you're not about to hear it now..." He jokes as he plays a a joyful tune. The smile on his face quickly drops when he realises the only people who would tease him like that was either dead or taken...

"So... How do you feel about our impending deaths?"

Clementine raises an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic.

"We may not necessarily die, of course. We could be injured, kidnapped, maimed, maybe eaten. The possibilities are endless... "

"Honestly, I'm terrified." Clementine confesses almost guiltily.  
"I know we've done all we can. But sometimes... That's not enough. We can only wait and see for what happens..."

Oh. Well... She's being honest, at least. Truthfully, he would much prefer that to false hope.

"Damn, you're owning it. I'm impressed. Most people choose to bury their feelings, but you look them right in the face and say: Whoa! These suck!"

She smiles sadly at him, picking out the compliment for what it is. Her eyes roam to the piano he leans on, his earlier request coming back to her mind.

"So, what's this project you needed my help for?"

Oh! Right!

Because doing is better than telling, he simply turns back to the piano and presses on the offending key. An awful sound erupts from the piano as he presses, sound almost screeching.

"Sounds awful, right? All we need to do is tune it. That's why I need you." Louis tells her as be stands, beckoning her over to sit where he once was.

Clementime rolls her eyes at him, but approaches none the less. He makes his way around to the back of the piano, pushing the lid open and propping it up as Clementine sits down and awaits for his instructions.

"When I give the signal, press the 'A' key"

"Uh, yeah... Which ones the 'A' key?"

That decided it, he was definitely going to have to teach her how to play at some point.

"You know, the 'A' key. Next to the 'B' key. After the 'G' key" Louis teases her as for her lack of knowledge on the piano as he points out the different keys with a squinted smile, eyes drifting to her hand as she prepares to play.

Hold up a second. Was he seeing things, or was there one less finger than there should be?

"How'd that happen?"

"Car door. Slammed on it."

Jesus, what kind of childhood did she _have_ exactly?

"Well, you can play just as well with nine and a half." He reassures her, pleased to see the thankful smile she shoots his way.

Clementine plays the key as he requested, Louis bent over the piano as he makes adjustments to its strings.

"Okay, now press the pedals as I make some more adjustments"

She complies, repeatedly pumping the pedals by her feet as he works.

"Great, that parts golden. Now quick, blow on the strings!"

He couldn't resist...

"I know, sounds weird, but blow on them. Cooling the temperature helps set them in harmony." He lies smoothly to her.

Clementine looks at him incredulously, but eventually gives in and does as he asks. It takes everything within him not to laugh the moment he hears her blow onto them.

With a few more adjustments and test plucks, the piano finally plays the note just how he wants it. Satisfied, he straightens himself from his leaning position.

"Okay, great! That did nothing. Because that's not at all part of how you tune a piano." He tells her gleefully, gripping onto the lapels of his coat.  
"But it was funny!" he adds at her irritated glare.

"It could have done something, on a molecular level. Or maybe it's good luck to blow on strings." Louis rambles on as he sits down next to her on the bench, pressing the key to test its working as intended.

"You are super cute."

For a split second, he worries he had let his own thoughts spill out. When his brain connects that it was actually Clementine saying this, it seems to short circuit at the realisation.

Him? Seriously? Did... Did she really just say that? Oh shit, she's waiting for a response.

"Wow, cute! That's, uh.... Yay! Glad to be of service."

In all his life, he's pretty sure he's never responded to something quite as stupid as he just did.

Music is the best form of distraction, so he quickly returns to his playing, the song he had wrote for her beginning before he can even think about what to play.

"What are you playing? And don't say a piano."

Ah, she knows him so well...

"A song. That I wrote"

"Really? What's it called?"

"I don't know yet." Louis tells her dishonestly, having decided on the name a long time ago but worrying about how she will react.

"There. First time played. We should mark the occasion." Louis says once he finishes the last few notes, pulling his knife out of his coat to scratch an 'L' into the smooth wooden surface of the piano. Once finished, he flips the knife to offer the handle to Clementine.

She takes the knife from him, quickly adding her own initial of 'C' along with a plus sign next to his lone 'L'.

"You done tattooing that piano?"

He was joking, but is suprised to see her pause for a moment, apparently pondering over something.

"I think you've got a future in whittling. I like saying 'whittling.' Whittling. Okay, I'll stop. _Whittling."_ Louis rambles about nothing, needing to find a way to fill the silence they had found themselves in.

Clementine makes up her mind, returning the blade of the knife to the wood and adding another carving to their initials. Louis watches curiously as she carves an odd looking shape, slightly spherical looking, around their initials. He can't make out what exactly it is, but it kind of looks like...

"Oh, that's, uh... That's a... Potato?"

Clementine leans back from her work with an amused smile, giving Louis full view of the carving.

Oh?  
That's... That's definitely not a potato.

"Its a heart. Yep, I see, it's a heart. That's... Super cool. Really cool..." Louis tells her, unable to stop the smile on his face. To his relief, she continues to smile back at him, as amused with his idiocy as he was.

"So, uh, I'm going to go dig myself a deep hole from which I'll never emerge. Cool? Cool." He huffs out a sigh, knowing now was the time to tell her how he felt.

He wasn't sure if he could ever tell her _exactly_ how he feels. Just how much he can't stop thinking about her...  
But this, simply being able to spend time with her? Having her joke around with him, like the others wouldn't? It was enough.

Hell, it was more than enough. And he needed her to know.

"Time to get serious." He tries to hype himself up

"Serious? Wow, you feeling okay?"

"Not really, nope." He tells her honestly, shaking his head.  
"Thanks... For being here. Listening. Blowing on the strings. Coming here to help me with my project, even after everything I put you through. And everything I had to work through, for myself. Everyone hears the jokes, the piano... And after that, they stop listening. You didn't."

Louis gazes at her with a tender smile, fidgeting nervously in his seat as he waits for her to reply. Clementine takes some time, thinking over how to respond to his kind words.

"So... Um... I like you a lot. Like, _like_ like you. As more than a friend."

Louis knows his mouth is open in shock, but he can't bring himself to close it. After all he had done, all he had said, she liked him?

"No jokes? Nothing?" Clementine asks with a nervous laugh, now as anxious as Louis was.

"When you said you had feelings for someone during the game, I was hoping it was me. And it is. Holy shit, it's me!" His voice raises in complete giddiness, looking down to the piano in shock with a beaming grin.

"Figured out what to call the song. Clementine, obviously. Y'know, because I like fruit. And I like you even more. So, _there_. Gotta admit, of all the things I was expecting, you having a crush on me was not it. You stabbing me in my sleep? Yes. Declaration of crush? No."

Clementine apparently decides she's had enough of his nervous rambling as he did. She leans towards him eargerly, to which he tilts his head and meets her halfway. His heart pounds harder at the feeling of her lips against his own, and at the pleased sigh that escapes her, prompting him to deepen the kiss momentarily.

Eventually, they pull away, his mind reminding him of the fact that she had kissed him. _She_ had kissed _him_. His happiness overwhelms him, a giddy chuckle bubbling from his chest. Clementine smiles fondly at his response, a slight shyness around her he had never seen before.

They stare at one another, smiling like idiots. Every fiber of his being wants to lean back in, to return to their kiss. He wanted to kiss her till she was breathless, till she knew how much he cared.

"Clem! You out here?"

Dammit, Ruby.

"I've gotta go. I've got lookout duty." Clementine tells him, standing reluctantly.

"Well, you don't want to miss that. Sounds like way too much fun."

Clementine smiles at him once more as he stands, gesturing for the two of them to make their way outside.

They walk slowly, side by side, hands barely brushing as they make their way out of the music room, a new electricity seeming to bounce between them.

If the raiders killed him tonight, at least he'd die happy.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cold chill of the night had replaced the days warm breeze, the drop in temperature causing an involuntary shiver throughout his body.

"Would you like the pleasure of my company up there?" He asks Clementine as the watch tower comes into view, not quite ready to seperate from her just yet.

Clementine glances up towards the watch tower, spotting AJ sat alone against the backdrop of the night sky.

"No, that's alright. I've been meaning to speak to AJ for a while now."

His face must show some disappointment, for she grabs his hand and gives it a slight squeeze. The simple gesture makes him feel cared for, in a way he wasn't used to.

"I'll see you later." Clementine tells him softly, turning away and making her way up the ladder to AJ. Louis watches her as she goes, an affectionate smile plastered on his face.

"I _really_ hope you're not staring at her ass."

Louis whirls round to see Violet stood nearby with a knowing smirk,  amused by the blush that is quick to appear on Louis' face.

"No!"

"Hey, I'm not judging." Violet tells him, throwing up her hands in defence.

"I- - It- - I wasnt-"

"Relax, I'm just messing with you, Lou." Violet says, her teasing smirk falling into a gentle smile.  
"I know you're not like that."

Louis relaxes, returning her smile with a shake of his head, looking back up to where Clementine is talking to AJ, thankfully having not heard Violets comments or his responding panic.

"I thought _I_ was supposed to be the jokester of the group."

Violet watches Louis as he gazes up at Clementine, a softness in his eyes and a happiness in his smile she hadn't seen from him before. 

"You seem happy. Like, _disgustingly_ happy. More than usual, I mean"

Louis tears his gaze from Clementine and AJ, looking to Violet with a happy grin.

"She _kisse_ d me." He whispers giddily, practically shaking from the excitement of the memory.

"She kissed you!?" Violet responds in shock, raising her voice slightly louder than she intended.

"Shh!"

Louis' eyes were wide in alarm as his head whipped between Violet and Clementine, relaxing once Clem had shown no signs of hearing Violets shout.

"Jesus, Vi" He begun, dramatically clutching at his heart  
"The raiders are the ones that are supposed to be giving me a heart attack, not you."

Violets teasing smirk returns, the blonde leaning against the stands of the watch tower with her arms crossed.

"So, you and Clem, huh? How'd that happen?"

"Honestly? I have no clue. I mean, one second I was just joking around, being, y'know-"

"Being Louis?"

"Wow, thanks, Violet. If you could just say that with a bit more disdain-"

"Alright, alright, I get it. You were saying?"

A small smile returns to Louis' face as he copies Violet stance, leaning against the watch tower to face her.

"And she just told me, right then and there. Told me she liked me. _Me_ , Violet. Me!"

Violets smirk drops from her face, concern quickly replacing it.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up like that. Of course she likes you. Was hard not to see it. Hell, I think everyone knew but you."

Louis remains silent at this, giving a helpless shrug in response to her words. It was hard for him not to think like this, to not expect for good things to come his way. If there was one thing this apocalypse had taught him, it was not to expect happiness to be given to him. If he wanted it, he'd have to make his own.

It was why he acted the way he acted, or, as Violet would say, being 'Louis'. This life... This one of survival, it had no room for fun, for enjoyment. But he'd be damned if he'd let everyone get dragged down that way, to turn into... Turn into the kind of people that Marlon eventually became. So that's why he does what he does, acts the way he acts. He just what's everyone he loves to be... Happy.

His thoughts are interrupted by Clementines sudden appearance, climbing rapidly down the rickety ladder with a look of alarm. That can only mean one thing.

"Raiders?" He asks her as they march towards the group, already circled together in preparation for the attack.

"Yeah." She confirms simply, face set in determination and thoughts focused on their plan.

"Shit. Well, if it all goes wrong out there and I never see you again, just know..."

Just know that it'll tear me apart if I see you hurt. Know it'll destroy me if you die. Know that while I was focused on bringing others happiness, I didn't really know how to bring my own... Until you brought it for me.

"I have no idea what the 'D' on your hat means. Don't tell me, I prefer it to remain a mystery. But I'm gonna pretend it stands for 'Don't Die', so, uh, listen to your hat, okay?"

Close enough, right?

He splits off from her, standing among the others who are all looking up to Clementine for guidance, none of them able to keep the look of fear off their face at the thought of the impending attack.

"Okay, everyone. The time has come. We've spotted the raiders just outside our gates, along with horses and carts; probably to take us away." Clementine addresses the group, looking every bit the leader she was meant to be.

"Assholes." Aasim mutters angrily

"If they get in here, everyone spread out and hide around the court yard. I'll distract them while Mitch sets up his bomb in their cart."

"It'll work. I promise." Mitch assures, nodding to the group in confidence.

"If they're still fighting after that, we fall back."

"To the admin building" Louis adds on, pointing behind him to the building in question.

"Then, we'll lead them right into our traps."

"Assholes won't know what hit 'em. Those duffel bags will break bones _easy_." Aasim assures, punching his fist into his palm to assert his statement.

"So... Uh... Any final words of wisdom? You've fought them and won after all. Kind of..." Louis rambles on, his nerves getting the best of him.

"Louis, shut it."

Clementine looks across the group, taking in everyone's nervous faces. Her eyes land on him, her hardened expression briefly flicking to worry at the thought of him being harmed.

"Whatever you do, look out for-"

A gunshot rings through the air, interrupting Clementines statement. Louis jumps in shock at the sound as Omar collapses next to him, screaming in agony while he clutches his leg, blood spurting from the fresh wound.

"Omar!" Violet shouts, panicked

"Go! I've got him!" Clementine commands them all, already reaching down to help the injured chef.

Louis obeys immediately, joining the others as they run to the slightly raised brick walls of the school for cover.

He spots two bows that have been stashed nearby the walls, grabbing one for himself and passing the other to Violet. All the while, he keeps a fearful eye on Clementine as she puts all her effort into dragging Omar into cover, Omar doing all he can with his one uninjured leg to drag himself along.

"Clementine! I know you're in there!"

His blood runs cold at the woman's taunts, instantly recognising her voice as the one he had heard back in the forest, when she had her boot on Clementines neck.

A flash of flames comes over the gate, the thrown molotov instantly setting their barricades alight. It only takes a few moments for the material to burn and a few more powerful shoves from the raiders for the gates to swing wide open.

Louis presses himself as closely as possible into the wall, surface hard and cold against his back. He squeezes his eyes shut, heart racing at the sounds of the raiders approaching; the thuds of the horses footsteps and squeaks of the cart as it was pulled along.

Whilst being in this position meant the raiders couldn't see him, he hadn't realise it not only meant he couldn't see them, but he couldn't see Clementine. Couldn't see if she was alright, if any of those snipers gunshots had met its mark.

"Lilly!"

Louis let's out a small sigh of relief, now knowing she was still alive.

"Move, and I shoot!"

"You won't get the chance!"

Louis recognises the gravely voice as the thief from the train station, the one who had shot AJ. His lips snarl involuntary at the realization.

"If Clementine moves, shoot her."

Louis' rage increases, every part of him wanting to stand and fire an arrow right at this woman. But he can't. Not when it would screw up the plan. Not when it risks getting others killed.

"Just take me. Leave the others and take me back. I'll fight in your war."

He knows Clementine is bluffing, saying it as a distraction, but that doesn't stop the panic from swelling in his chest at the thought of Clementine being taken away.

"You'd do that? You'd come with me if I spared the others?"

"Yes."

There's a brief moment of silence, nothing but the crackling sounds of the fire behind them. Louis feels sick with nerves, just waiting for who will make the next move.

"You've changed."

"I grew up"

"I can see that. God, you are just like him."

Him? Who the hell was him?

"Lee would have been heartbroken, knowing he taught you all the wrong things."

How fucking dare she? What kind of sick bastard would bring up someone's loved one to taunt them like that?

"Dont. Don't _ever_ say his name." Clementine spits out, her voice thick with grief

"I knew Lee better than-"

"Ever!"

Another beat of silence, the two unsure of where to continue

"Where are our new recruits?" Lilly asks coldly

"They're not yours!" Clementine shouts back in defiance.

"If you won't help us find the others, I'll find someone who will. We've recruited from this school before."

She... She couldn't mean...

" _Minnie_ wanted to be here tonight. To tell you how well she's adjusted to her new life. How happy she is. She said she had a girlfriend back here."

He felt Violet stiffen next to him, face shocked and pained at the mention of the one person she had cared most for.

"Friends she missed, one guy who could always make her laugh, no matter what."

He felt sick. He just wanted them to leave the school, leave them in peace.

"And her little brother. She misses him the most."

Oh god. Tenn.

He glances cautiously to where Tenn is hiding in the bushes, face twisted in hurt and uncertainty at the mention of his sister, who he once thought was lost. Louis felt his heart drop at the sight of Tenn standing from his hide out, walking out of his line of sight.

"Where are they?" Tenn asks timidly

"Let me take you to them." Lillys voice is smooth and calming, and Louis knows it's enough to trick the young boy.

"Don't listen to her, Tenn! She's a liar and murderer, she won't take you to your sisters!" Clementine shouts, desperate to snap Tenn out of his trance.

Louis hears a sharp gasp from Tenn, frustrated that he can't _see_ what's going on.

The explosion is loud and startling, Mitch's bomb seemingly working as planned. The horse neighs in panic, galloping off from the sudden sound.

Finally, he stands from his hiding position, the other quickly following suit. The raiders are caught unprepared and shaken from the explosion, to which they quickly take advantage of.

Louis and Violet stand side by side, firing at the raiders who scramble for cover. The raiders run to the cover they had set up, usimg their own defences against them and making it harder to hit them. 

Clementine stands alone, fire illuminating the defiance on her face as she fires Marlons bow. To his dismay, Lilly is prepared, rolling out of the way of the arrow headed for her head.

Louis spots Tenn still sprawled out on the floor, knocked down from the explosion. Dread fills him at the sight of Lilly so close. Louis lowers his bow, prepared to run out and grab Tenn.

Mitch's angry shout interrupts his plans, the furious boy charging at Lilly who was still getting up on her feet, slightly dazed from the force of the explosion.

She's prepared though, her knife sliding into Mitchs throat with ease, like she had done it a million times before.

Louis feels like he's going to pass out at the sight. A river of blood flows from the wound, coating Lillys hands with a crimson stain. She pulls the knife away, Mitch uselessly grasping at his throat, gurgling as his lungs fill with his own blood.

"Mitch! No!" Willy's screams in anguish from nearby, having to be held back by an equally distraught Aasim.

Lilly seems angry at her own actions. But Louis knows she doesn't feel bad about, that she took a life. No, she's only upset because she lost a potential soldier.

"Kill who you have to! Take the rest!" Lilly commands her fellow raiders, plunging her knife into Mitchs skull.

"Now! Fall back!" Clementine shouts at the sight of Mitchs demise, firing an arrow into the leg of an approaching raider.

Aasim grabs ahold of Willy, dragging him away from the fight and towards the admim building. AJ rushes over to Clementines side, following her as they make their way into the school.

Louis spots Tenn crawling away from Mitchs body, still in a state of shock from what happened. To his side, Omar is sprawled out on the floor, unconscious from his injury.

Louis knows he should be following the plan, running with them to the admim building. But the plan didn't involve a gravely injured Omar, didnt involve a shocked Tenn, shaking with fear and umable to move. If he left now, they would likely be taken, or joining Mitch in death.

So he remains, fighting alongside Violet and Ruby who seem to be thinking along the same lines as him. The raiders had spread out, those that hadn't followed the others into the school remaining to fight, Lilly among them.

They might not have been out-numbered, but they were certainly outgunned. He and Violet do their best to return fire as bullets fly around them, arrows barely glancing the raiders heads as they peek over their own cover.

A particularly close gunshot whistles past his ear, impacting into the pillar next to him. He drops from the shock of it, taking a moment to breathe, nocking his next arrow as he prepares to take on the next raider who risks a look over their cover.

Seeing them still hiding, he takes the opportunity to sneak closer, blood pounding in his ears as he hopes to God they don't spot him.

But it seemed like someone else had the same idea.

He can barely gasp in shock before a fist comes flying into his face, knocking him backwards. He plants his feet firmly to stop himself from falling over completely, ears ringing and vision dazed from the hit.

The raider advances towards him, and he briefly recognises her as the sniper in the trees; the one who had shot Omar. She takes his brief moment of suprise to pull her rifle from her back, aiming it straight at his chest. He reacts instinctively, grabbing the barrel of the gun and forcing it away. He's not strong enough to pull it away completly though, the two of them fighting for control of the weapon.

She snarls down at him, slowly inching the barrel back towards his chest, finger reaching for the trigger to end his fight.

They're both distracted by the bodies falling from the balcony above. A sickening crack fills the air after the impact, and Louis gasps in shock at the sight of Clementine laying atop the thief from before, unconscious. She's soon woken by the man's screams of agony, leg bent and snapped by the fall, blood flowing from the tear of the jagged bone.

Louis resists the urge to scream as Lilly approaches, shoving the barrel of her own rifle into Clementines head. Clementine was going to die, and he couldn't _do_ anything, still struggling to fight off the raider who was doing everything in her power to subdue him.

He's relieved when Violet seems to appear out of nowhere, screaming in rage as she tackles Lilly down and away from Clementine, pushing her whole weight into the woman to keep her down.

The raider takes advantage of Louis' distraction, pulling the rifle away from his grip and lifting the gun to her shoulder, prepared to shoot. He darts forward, throwing a punch that strikes her right in the face. It doesn't seem to faze her all too much, lifting the gun to swing at him, the two once again fighting for control of the gun.

She suprised him by shoving her force forward, the gun colliding harshly with his face. His vision whites out for a moment, the hit momentarily dazing him, making him feel fogged. He feels his arms tremble with the effort of keeping the gun from being swung at him, the raider continuing to push forward. He knows its a losing battle, can feel himself getting pushed further and further back towards the waiting cages, ready to take him away.

Blood spurts from behind the raiders back, the woman screaming in pain at the arrow that impales her shoulder. The hit causes her to fall away, revealing Clementine stood facing his direction with a look of pure wrath at the sight of Louis being forced backwards. Louis takes his chance, sprinting away to grab his bow and find the nearest cover.

"We take our losses! Fall back! Everyone fall back!" Lilly shouts from near the gate, taking out the walkers that had appeared from all the noise.

He felt helpless at the sight of Violet being knocked out, collapsing into the cart alongside a captured Omar and Aasim. He can't even load an arrow by the time the horse is moving, taking his friend's away.

It's still not over yet, however. Lilly throws another molotov down, the resulting wall of fire stopping their plans of following. She gives one last glare to Clementine before turning and running to join her group, the increasing number of walkers being too much to handle.

It's left to them to dispatch the remaining walkers. Those that had been set on fire were more of a danger than the others, unable to be taken down upclose. He and Clementine work together, firing arrows to take them down. Tenn, snapping out of his shock, joins Ruby, Willy and AJ as they handle any that could be taken down by themselves.

Eventually, the groans of the dead fall silent, all being dispatched. They stand silent in shock amongst the resulting chaos, fires still burning furiously around them.

"God." Louis finally breaks the silence, catching Clementines attention.  
"Omar, Aasim they're just gone. And... Violet. I never thought someone would get her."

"We're going to get them back." Clementine tells him defiantly, still staring at the space Lilly had just left from.

"But how? We don't know how many there are, or where they're going."

He closes his eyes at the grief, visions of Violet being knocked down and Mitch grasping at his slit throat ingrained into his memory.

"No. But we know someone who does."

He opens his eyes at Clementines statement, following her gaze. The thief lays crumpled nearby, weakly pulling himself into an upright position, bracing himself against a nearby pillar.

They approach, staring down at the man in disgust. His skin is pale, face covered in forming bruises and blood, shining with sweat. He startles at their sudden appearance, his breathing broken and wheezy.

The fear on his face melts away, quickly to be replaced by irritation at the events that had unfolded. He gives a dry chuckle as he looks to them, an amused smirk on his face.

"Don't bother." He spits out at them.  
"This whole 'tough guy' act you're trying to do right now? It ain't workin'. So why don't we just save some time and-"

Clementine interrupts him, jabbing the end of Marlons bow hard into his head, knocking the thief out instantly. His body slumps to the ground, appearing almost lifeless.

Thank God, that shut him up.

Clementine gives him one last look of disgust before throwing down Marlons bow in agitation. Her whole body shakes as she turns away, hands desperately grasping at the cap atop her head as she storms away.

Louis is quick to rush over, worried at the sight of her panic. She's turned away from him, stood in the middle of the courtyard. He approaches cautiously, not wanting to startle her and gently places his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

She turns into his touch immediately, burying herself into his chest with her arms tightly wound around his waist, fingers grasping into the back of his shirt. Clementine sobs quietly into his shirt, knees folding and dropping to the floor. Louis drops down with her, holding her tight as she continued to cry.

He has never seen her like this. Clementine was always the one with the brave face, the one who could keep everything and everyone together. Now she was in front of him, full of despair, and he had know idea what to do.

Louis remains kneeled on the floor, holding Clementine close and resting his head lightly on hers. He remains quiet as he gently rubs her back, deciding it best to wait until she's ready to talk.

"Everytime..." She begins weakly, voice slightly muffled by his coat.  
"Everytime, something like this happens. Eveytime I meet new people, people I care for, that I grow to _love_ -"  
Her voice cracks and breaks off, fresh tears stopping her from speaking  
"They get taken away from me." She finishes, voice again breaking as she collapses into more sobs.

"Damn, guess that means you don't love me."

This coaxes a small laugh out of her, though it sounds more like a mix of a laugh and a sob.

"You're an idiot." Clementine tells him as she laughs weakly, her sobs beginning to subside.

"Yeah, but you're the one who kissed me. Guess that makes me _your_ idiot."

Clementine finally pulls her head away from his chest, giving him a watery smile that he returns, fighting off his own tears at the sting of Mitch's death and the others being taken.

"Like you said, we're going to get them back. Whatever it takes. I promise you." He assures her.

"Whatever it takes." She repeats with a whisper, eyes locked with his.

Clementine, seemingly embarrassed at her own breakdown, quickly begins to stand. Louis follows suit, grabbing a hold of her hand as she pulls away, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"You go head over to AJ. I'll tie up Abel, make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

Clementine looks to their locked hands, giving a thankful squeeze and smile in return before pulling away, heading over to a worried looking AJ, also seeming shocked to see his mother figure so distraught. Louis' smile grows wider as AJ throws himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

The smile drops from his face as his gaze slips over to Abel, the injured thief still unconscious from Clementines hit.

The rusted hinges of the basement door squeal in protest as he pushes them open, chipped concrete stairs leading down into darkness. Louis grabs a hold of Abels only functioning leg, not at all feeling bad at the sounds of the thiefs back thumping against the stairs as he drags him down. The pitter-patter of dog feet follow him, Rosie making her way down with him.

After a few minutes of searching, he finds one of the old school chairs tucked away. Grunting from the effort, he grabs ahold of Abel under his armpits, lifting him into the chair.

"Gotta find something to stop him escaping" Louis mutters to himself, eyes darting in the dark for something to use, sighing when all he could find was some old ductape.

He winds the tape as tightly as he can, wrapping it around Abel multiple times. Then again, even without the tape, he doubts Abel will get far. That broken leg and missing arm would definitely do a much better job at making escaping difficult than any restraint could ever do.

Louis turns away from the sleeping thief, making his way back up the stairs. As he grabs onto the handle of the door, he looks over his shoulder at Abel once more, Rosie raising her head from the floor to look at him curiously. 

They were going to get them back. Whatever it takes.


	9. Chapter 9

Louis let out a deep sigh as he turned onto his back, staring up at Aasims now empty bunk. It was only a few hours until morning, but he just couldn't fall asleep. His mind was filled with the events of the night, Violets screams echoing in his ears as she was dragged away by the collar of her shirt, the sight of her collapsing into the cage.

He still felt like he could have done something. If maybe he was just that bit stronger, to throw off that raider. If he was just that bit quicker, to take out the raider that was dragging her away. If he hadn't got himself into danger, and Clementine didn't have to rescue him instead of Violet...

"Louis?"

He jumps at the sound, sitting up as quick as possible. His head slams into the bottom of the bunk in the process, hissing at the pain as he brings a hand up to rub at the sore spot.

Clementine is stood sheepishly at his door, eyes wide in shock at the sight of him very nearly knocking himself out.

"Sorry, hadn't noticed you there." He tells her, bringing his arm back down from his head, turning to sit on the side of his bed.  
"You okay?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that." She jokes with a laugh, looking to his head.

"Hmm, that depends. Is there _supposed_ to be two of you right now?"

She smiles at this, but it doesn't quite seem to be reaching her eyes. Noticing this, he pats the space next to him in invitation.

Louis watches as she approaches, sitting in the offered spot and nervously twiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"I just... Needed to be with someone for the moment. I finally got AJ to sleep but couldn't quite get to sleep myself. Too many... Thoughts." She tells him with a sad smile, still staring down at her hands.

"Something particular on your mind?"

Clementine pauses her movements at this, exhaling deeply.

"I should be thinking over the plan. How to get Abel to talk, how we're going to get everyone back, but... I can't stop thinking about _Lilly_." Clementines face contorts in disgust at her name.

"You said you knew her before, right? Was she always, y'know..."

"An asshole?"

"Well..."

Clementine shakes her head sadly, staring out the nearby window to the night sky, scattered stars shining down on them.

"I was only eight when this whole thing started, so I didn't really know exactly what was happening. She wasn't the nicest person in the world, but she wasn't the way she was now."

Louis nods at her words, encouraging her to continue.

"Honestly, she was my friend. In fact-" Clementine reaches up to her curls, grabbing a hold of the section that had been tied up.  
"She gave me this hair tie a long time ago. I was a kid, and she treated me like one. Would play with me, would draw with me. But... Her dad, Larry, didnt really have any time for that. And what he said, we had to do. And she followed him no matter what. At least, that was what they both thought should happen.  
When she lost her dad, she changed. There was a disagreement over one of the guys that were staying with us, and she wanted him gone. Carley, a woman that had been with us as long as everyone else, refused to let Lilly order us around, wouldn't just let her kick Ben out."

"Well, Carley sounds like a great person" Louis tells her honestly

"Yeah, she is. She was."

"Was?"

"Lilly snapped and just.. Shot her. Right in the face, with no remorse. Didn't even fight it when Lee pinned her to the RV we were staying in to force her to drop the gun. She _knew_ what she did was wrong, but she just didn't care."

"She just... Shot her? Over one disagreement? What did you do with her?"

"We didn't want to do what we did, but we didn't know if she would hurt another one of us. Lee didn't want to risk it, so he told her she couldn't come with us, that she would have to go alone. We left her on the side of the road and took off. That was the last I ever saw of her."

Jesus. He could easily see how the Lilly that Clementine last saw turned into the Lilly he had seen last night. After having lost everything, it would only make sense she was willing to do whatever it takes to protect her new home. But to perform raids on communities, kidnapping people and forcing them to fight in a war they're not involved in? That was... Insane.

"I never realised just how much shit you went through, how much you had to survive out there." Louis tells her

"Not like I did it on my own. I would never had made it as far as I did without Lee"

Clementine looks sad at the mention, but her mouth is curled in a slight smile, thinking back to her time with her surrogate father.

"Can... Can you tell me more about him?" Louis asks cautiously, wanting to know more but not wanting to upset her.

He regrets asking the question the second she tenses up at his request.

"You know what, that was stupid, I shouldn't have-"

"Louis, it's okay." She tells him with a chuckle at his panicked expression, finally lifting her gaze from her lap to look at him.  
"Its not stupid, I appreciate that you want to know more about him."

He relaxes with a relieved smile, happy he hadn't upset her further.

"Lee was... He was one of the most selfless, caring man I've ever met. If he hadn't found me in my tree house a few days after this whole thing started? I'd be dead.  
He didn't have to look after me. In fact, it would have been a hell of a lot easier for him if he didn't."

"But that's just not the kind of guy he is." Louis adds with a smile.

"Yeah...exactly. We went through so much shit, so much death and betrayal, but no matter what? He was _always_ looking out for me. Always.  
After a few close calls, Lee realised he couldn't keep me away from this kind of world forever. So he taught me everything I needed to know to survive. After we found a working train-"

"You found a working train?!"

Clementine raises an amused eyebrow, Louis quickly becoming embarrassed with his outburst.

"Sorry, not the time. You were saying?"

She laughs, leaning her head to rest on his shoulder before continuing.

"During that time, he showed me how to shoot a gun, said I needed to know in case I ever had to protect myself. I couldn't fathom having to ever use it at the time, but it wasn't long after that that I needed to use it to save him. He even had to cut my hair. Although, I wasn't all too happy about it..."

"And...Cutting your hair is related to survival because?"

"Long hair is easier for walkers or people to grab, makes it more of a risk." She tells him, craning her neck to look up at him, eyeing his hair.  
"In fact..."

"Nuh-uh. You are not touching my dreads." He tells her with a teasing glare.

She giggles at his comment, a smile coming to Louis' face at the sound, pleased to have made her laugh. Clementine shakes her head as she smiles at him, turning her head back to lean on him.

"People always mistook me for his daughter, because he treated me like he was. Was willing to sacrifice everything to keep me safe. Including his own life..."

The happy atmosphere disappears at her words, Louis frowning sadly at the misery in her voice.

"How... How did it happen?"

"It was my fault." She tells him, voice thick with tears.  
"We had travelled all the way to Savannah, planned to find a boat and escape. My parents were on holiday in Savannah before the outbreak, so I asked Lee if we could go find them. He told me no, because he was trying to protect me, protect the group, but I _blamed_ him for it. Some random man, some stranger, told me he knew where my parents were over the radio, that he would take me to them. I was stupid enough to believe him, and I snuck away to meet him. He kidnapped me."

This.. This was only a few months into the apocalypse, right? Had society really dissolved so much in so little time?

"That's when it happened... Lee was practically tearing the town apart to find me, and he got bit.. I didn't even realise until he told me much later after he had found me, when he was practically on his deathbed. I should have noticed earlier, really. He was so...  _pale_.  
He had found me, but he found the guy who kidnapped me, too. Lee was knocked out, and a fight broke out after an argument when they woke up. He was strangling Lee, so close to killing him, and I knew he would die if I didn't do anything. Thats when I saw the gun nearby... "

"So that's how you saved him..." Louis realises

"It was the first time I had killed someone."

The room falls silent at her confession, Clementine unable to look Louis in the eyes, fearing his reaction.

"You know what? Based on what you've told me about Lee, you did the right thing."

Clementine smiles at this, but it's quick to slip from her face.

"He definitely was worth saving, but... Taking a life like that, when I was so young? It... It changes you... It's all I could think of the night AJ..." She trails off, not wanting to bring up the memory of that horrid night.  
"It wasn't long after that his bite begun to take over. Walkers had flooded the area, so he covered us in their guts to sneak through. I... I saw my parents as we made our way out. They had turned. I was so upset about seeing them, I nearly didn't notice that Lee had passed out from the bite.  
After dragging him into a nearby building, and he cuffed himself to a radiator, he asked me to shoot him. And I did. I couldn't bear to see him suffer, to turn into one of those... _things_."

"I'm so sorry, Clem" Louis whispers gently, wrapping an arm around her side.  
"You must miss him"

"Everyday"

"He sounds like he was great guy, and an even better dad. I wish I could have met him."

"I wish you could have, too. I'm sure he would have loved you as much as I do."

"Really?" Louis asks her with a grin.   
"Because I'm fairly certain I would be receiving quite the death glare anytime I so much as looked in your direction."

"Maybe" Clementine jokingly agrees  
"I think you'd have to put that charm of yours to use to win _him_ over first."

"Well, I won you over, didn't I?"

He's so focused in looking at the reflected stars in the gold of her eyes that he doesn't notice she's moved before her lips meet his own in a chaste kiss, withdrawing before he has time to fully comprehend it. She gazes up at him, an amused laugh bubbling out at the dazed look on his face.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever get tired of the look on your face everytime I kiss you." Clementine tells him with a teasing grin

"Well then, guess you'll just have to keep kissing me." Louis teases right back, chuckling when she smacks his arm in annoyance, shaking her head at his antics.

"Seriously, though. Thank you." She tells him sincerely

"For?"

"For being here. Listening to me talk. Sometimes it all just gets a little too much and I never really had anyone to talk to about it. So, thank you."

"Anytime, my darling."

Clementine blushes at the name, narrowing her eyes at him, knowing what would come next.

"Don't"

"Don't what?"

"Don't you start singing it, don't you dare-"

"But you love my singing!"

"That's besides the point"

"Too late!"

"Louis, I swear to-"

He interrupts her, singing the song of her name in hushed, quiet tones as not to wake the others.

_"Oh my darling, oh my darling,_  
_Oh my darling, Clementine,_  
_You are lost and gone forever,_  
_Dreadful sorry, Clementine._

_In a cavern, in a canyon,_  
_Excavating for a mine,_  
_Dwelt a miner, forty-niner,_  
_And his daughter, Clementine._

_Oh my darling, oh my darling,_  
_Oh my darling, Clementine,_  
_You are lost and gone forever,_  
_Dreadful sorry, Clementine._

_Light she was and like a fairy,_  
_And her shoes were number nine,_  
_Herring boxes, without topses,_  
_Sandals were for Clementine._

_Oh my darling, oh my darling,_  
_Oh my darling, Clementine,_  
_You are lost and gone forever,_  
_Dreadful sorry, Clementine._

_Drove she ducklings to the water,_  
_Every morning just at nine,_  
_Hit her foot against a splinter,_  
_Fell into the foaming brine_ "

Louis brings the song to a close, suprised she didnt interrupt him once during the entire song.

"See, told you that-"

Louis cuts himself off, unable to fight off his smile at the sight of Clementine asleep against him, her emotions and the events of the day having left her exhausted. He lowers her down to the bed as gently as possible so he doesn't wake her, wincing at the sounds of the mattress springs creaking as he stands from the bed.

Knowing he wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight, Louis makes his way towards the door. He grabs the handle, opening it as slowly and quietly as possible, looking over his shoulder to look at Clementine one last time.

"Rest well, Clementine. You deserve it."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis makes his way down the basement steps to see if Abel had awoken yet. No matter what, he was going to get answers. 

He pauses in his steps at the sound of a gun clicking. None of them had a gun...

Shit. They never did check Abel to see if he still had a weapon on him. If he had managed to escape his binds...

Louis peers around the corner cautiously, searching the area for any signs of an escape. Rosie remains asleep by the boiler, head burrowed by her paws. Abel is still where he left him, slumped over in his seat and still unconscious.

It's then that he notices another person in the room. At some point in the night, AJ must have come down here and pulled up his own chair. His revolver is back in his hands, spinning the revolvers cylinder as he stares at the broken thief.

Louis approaches, slightly worried for the boy, not knowing how long he's been down here.

"Hey, buddy. What are-"

AJ turns in his chair violently, bringing the gun up and pointing it at Louis instinctively.

"Woah! Hey! It's me!" Louis tells him, throwing his arms up in fear. AJs panicked expression calms at the sight of him, lowering the gun down quickly in shame.

"Louis! I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"It's okay, little dude." Louis assures him, waiting for his heart to stop beating so hard.  
"I forgot, can't come up behind you. Was my fault. I'm just glad you don't have too much of a trigger finger" He tells him with a nervous chuckle.

"You know, I think you're doing this wrong. Pretty sure I'm the one you're supposed to be pointing the gun at."

Louis and AJ startle at the new voice, turning to the sound. Abel had awoken at the commotion, eyes groggy but amused at their actions.

Louis' expressions hardens at the sight of him, moving closer and looking down to Abel in fury.

"Let's just cut the bullshit, alright? It's done. You're _our_ prisoner now. So I suggest you start talking, or things are going to get pretty damn difficult for you." Louis spits, snarling down at the man.

Abel simply looks up at him, pretending to take his words seriously before he breaks out into laughter.

"Sorry! Couldn't keep a straight face" He mocks Louis as he continues to laugh.   
"You little shits have been hiding behind these walls since this whole thing started. I've seen shit, done shit you wouldn't believe. You really think _you're_ going to scare me into talking?" Abel says, snorting at the thought.

"You don't think I can hurt you?"

"You wanna know what I think? I think the little squirt over there has more balls than you do. He knows what this worlds like, but you? You weren't prepared for this, were you? No, you were happy to keep a blind eye to it all and now here you are, just a scared little kid."

"Shut the fuck up"

Abel laughs in retaliation, happy with getting a rise out of him.

"I'll tell you what's gonna happen. Lillys gonna go back, grab more people, and come right back here.  
All of your friends? They're going to join us whether you like it or not. Hell, they'll probably die out there during the fight, and you know what? It doesn't even fucking matter if they do. Them dying to help our cause will be the only redeeming thing in their pathetic lives. Honestly, I just wish we had taken the little squirt here and that little bitch of his. At least _they_ might have a chance of doing something useful."

A rage he had never felt before seems to overtake his entire body. Louis didnt just want to hurt him, he wanted him to _suffer_. Wanted the man in front of him to be begging for mercy, wanted to hear his screams of agony.

And honestly, that scared him a little.

AJ beats him to the punch (quite literally), screaming in rage as he beats his tiny fists into whatever part of Abel he can reach. Abel let's out a howl of pain after a few particularly vicious hits to his shattered leg, head falling back and slipping back into unconscious from the searing pain that overwhelmed him.

"Whoa, hey! AJ, stop!" Louis shouts, scared to see the same rage had seen once before on AJs face as he continued to hit the unconscious man.

"He deserves it! He's a monster!"

Louis reacts the only way he knows how, crouching down to the boys height, wrapping his arms around the small boy and turning AJ towards him. AJ freezes at the contact, arms by his side, clearly not expecting Louis to hug him. AJ eventually gives in, lifting his arms to wrap them around Louis and burying his face into the crook of his neck.

"It's gonna be okay. We're going to get them back, I promise you." He assures the upset boy.

"Promise?" AJ asks fearfully, voice sounding broken.

"Promise"

AJ takes comfort in his words, giving Louis a smile as he pulls away from him. Louis stands, playfully ruffling his hands through the kids afro, to which AJ gives a delighted giggle as he swats his hand away.

"Come on, how about we go outside, maybe check and see if anyone's awake yet?"

The smile drops from AJs face, looking over to Abel as the hardened look returns to his face.

"No, it's okay. I wanna stay down here, make sure he doesn't leave."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

Louis sighs quietly to himself as AJ returns to his previous position, once again sitting on the chair and grabbing his revolver.

"Alright, well... I'll see if I can find Clementine. She'll probably want to know where you've disappeared off to." Louis tells him, AJ nodding to show he heard him, gaze still set on Abel who slumbers away.

And hopefully she won't come down to a dead Abel....

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun had risen since his time in the basement, opening the doors to a new day. He spots Ruby first, already working on clearing the area and digging a grave for Mitch.

Mitch is where they left him, but now someone had laid a cloth over his face in a sign of respect, and to prevent any of the younger kids from seeing his slit throat, gaping head wound or skin soaked in his own blood.

Louis' heart breaks at the sound of Willy's sobs, head bowed in pain at the loss of his closest friend, grasping onto Mitchs hand. They were practically like brothers, and Lilly had just taken that away in a single swipe of her knife.

He finally spots Clementine as she makes her way over to Willy in an attempt to comfort the boy. It seems to somewhat work, though the look of fury on Willy's face isn't all that comforting.

"Abels tied up in the basement. He passed out from the pain. AJ's down there with him, said he wanted to keep an eye on things."

Clementine nods to acknowledge him, turning back to Willy with a worried look when the distraught boy still hadn't moved from his spot. Louis follows her gaze, frowning sadly at the pain on Willy's face.

This was a pain he knew well, still recovering from the wound Marlons passing had left in his heart. He crouches down to Willy's height, gently lowering his tone as not to disturb him.

"Hey, buddy. Its time to bury Mitch, and say our goodbyes..."

Tenn shifts out of the corner of his eye, no longer twiddling with his fingers as he moves towards Willy.

"I'll help you move-"

Willy reacts immediately at Tenns appearance, sorrow turning to anger as he shoves Tenn harshly away, the scarred boy falling backwards from the push.

"Get away from him! You're the reason he's dead!"

"Willy" Ruby scolds before Louis can have a chance to

"What? We had a plan, and that idiot missed it up!"

"Come on, Willy. Cut it out! None of this is Tenns fault." Clementine states, upset to see them fighting among one another.

"I can't believe you're defending him! This... This is bullshit!"

Tenns lip quivers at his words, eyes swimming with tears. He stands, rushing away from the group at their sympathetic looks.

"Tenn!"

Clementine shifts slightly, ready to chase after the upset boy, the need to comfort him instinctive from years of cheering up an upset AJ.

He knew she didn't have time for this, that there was more pressing matters at hand. It was time for him to step up.

"Let me handle this. Go down and talk to Abel, see if you can't find out where they took Vi, Omar and Aasim. I wanted to hurt him, to make him talk, but... I just couldn't. Maybe you'll get more out of him than I did."

Clementine looks conflicted at this, looking over to Tenn who silently wept by the graveyard and then back to him. He reaches out and takes her hand, repeating the comforting squeeze he had done the night before, looking down at her with a small, reassuring smile. Clementines expression softens at this, returning his smile with one of her own before she slips away, making her way down into the basement.

Willy had returned to Mitchs side, angry tears leaving a trail down his cheeks as he stares down at Mitchs body, expression vacant.

"I'm not going to apologize." Willy states bluntly as Louis approaches

"And I'm not going to ask you to. Not yet, anyway."

Willy looks to him in surprise, having expected Louis to reprimand him for his behavior.

"But... I _am_ going to ask you to treat Tenn nicely-"

"Treat him nicely?! After he got Mitch killed-"

"Tenn didn't get Mitch killed, Willy. Mitchs death is Lillys fault and her fault only."

"Oh yeah? So you're saying Mitch would still have died if Tenn wasn't so stupid to have run out of cover like that?"

"Hey, come on. Tenn was just scared, and wanted to see his sisters again. He thought they were dead, Willy. Dead. If the roles were reversed, and Marlon had told you Mitch had died last year, and then the raiders that took them told you he was still alive, wouldn't you want to know more?"

Willy remains quiet at this, wiping the tears off his face with agitated movements.

"I still can't forgive him."

Louis sighs tiredly, feeling like he was running in circles with this conversation.

"I used to think the same thing too, y'know. About Clementine and what happened to Marlon."

Willy stills at this, turning to give Louis his full attention.

"I _hated_ her. So much...Her and AJ." Louis confesses to him guiltily.  
"Right after Marlons death, I wanted nothing to do with them. Told myself I would never be able to forgive her for what she and AJ did.  
God... I hated that I acted that way. I told her right to her face that I was happy to have just dumped her outside of the gates. And now?"

His eyes slide over to the basement door where he knows Clementine is, hoping she was alright down there.

"I can't imagine my life without her."

Willy looks stunned at his admission, eyes widening in shock.

"Last night, when I saw that woman with a gun to Clementines head, you know all I could think of? Every awful thing I had said to her. Doesn't matter what nice moments we had before or after, it was _all_ I could focus on. On how much I regretted saying those words, treating her the way I did. So, I'm not asking you to forgive Tenn, not just yet. But I'm asking you not to repeat my mistakes, otherwise you might end up regretting it the rest of your life."

Willy watches him for a moment, taking in his words. It takes only a moment for his thoughtful expression to turn into an annoyed frown, shaking his head.

"I can't. Just... Not right now. But... I won't say anything bad to him at the funeral. For Mitch. He always hated when me and Tenn would fight..."

Well, that's better than shouting at eachother... Maybe...

"Alright. Here, I'll help you carry Mitch over." Louis tells him, bending down to grab at Mitchs shoulders, wincing at the feeling of blood that stains his hands upon squeezing Mitchs jacket.

Willy stands slowly, grabbing ahold of Mitchs legs, the two of them grunting with the effort of lifting his weight. Together, they move his body gently, bringing Mitch over to the freshly dug hole within their graveyard.

Two of their own, gone in the space of two weeks. Three others, taken away from their home. He has to remind himself that no matter how bad it seemed, he has no doubt they would all be kidnapped or dead without Clementines help.

Ruby grabs the shovel they had found in the greenhouse, ready to start filling the grave when Willy stops her.

"No. Please, I wanna do it."

"You sure, hon?" Ruby asks with concern as she passes the shovel over.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

Louis and Ruby stand close by as Willy works. He wanted to comfort him, but he knew it was best to just give him some space, let him deal with his grief in his own way.

He tenses involuntary when Tenn makes his way over with a new cross, the skin around his eyes still red and splotchy from his tears.

Can only hope Willy keeps his promise not to snap at Tenn...

Willy looks over his shoulder as he finishes digging, hearing Tenns approaching footsteps. Tenn freezes at this, nervously playing with the cross in his hands and staring down at the ground. Willy has his mouth open as if to say something, but instead shuts it and turns back to the grave, placing the shovel down nearby and stepping back.

Tenn tugs on Louis' coat sleeve, grabbing Louis' attention as he offers up Mitch's cross to him. Louis takes it reluctantly, placing the cross into the ground. He hadn't expected to have to place a new grave so shortly after Marlon and Brodys.

"You wanna say something, Willy?" Louis asks as all four of them gaze down sadly at the new grave.

Willy looks up to him, eyes shining with fresh tears that threatened to spill over, nodding and looking back to Mitch's grave.

"Mitch, I..."

Willy's breath catches in his throat, unable to form the words he wants to say.

"I miss you" Willy squeezes out in a whisper

Tears begin to sting at his own eyes at Willy's grief. He and Mitch might not have always got along, but he was still family.

"Thank you, Mitch. For being the one to step up and look after Willy, to care for him like he was your own brother. You may have showed you cared in, uh, _different_ ways, but you cared. You always cared."

Willy sniffles at Louis' words, wiping his nose on his sleeve as he continued to stare down at the grave.

The sound of the basement door interrupts them, a very agitated looking Clementine climbing up the stairs and out to the courtyard. She stops briefly at the stairs, whistling for Rosie who makes her way up at Clementines call, AJ in tow.

With one last comforting pat to Willy's back, Louis makes his way over to Clementine, who makes her way into the main building whilst AJ heads over to pay his respects to Mitch.

"Hey, you alright?" Louis asks as he catches up to her, noticing how on edge she seemed

"Abels dead"

Oh.

"Did... Did AJ-"

"No. No, I wouldn't let him do that. I killed him."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Clem."

"What for?"

"For having to do that? Taking a life, I mean. I can't imagine it's easy..."

"You're right, it's not. But you get used to it"

Get used to it? How could you ever possibly get used to killing a person?

"How many people _have_ you killed exactly?"

Clementine stops as she lifts a hand to push open the door to Marlons office, flinching at the question before looking to Louis in annoyance.

"This isn't exactly the time for those kinds of questions." She snaps at him.

"Alright, sorry" He tells her, raising his hands in defence. Her expression softens at the look of panic on his face, sighing as she makes her way inside the office.

"I don't want to think about that right now. All I want to be focused on is getting the others back." She tells him as she rummages in the desk, pulling out their handrawn map of the school.

"There" She says, pointing out a section of river with 'DON'T FUCKING GO THERE' sprawled across in red crayon.  
"You guys ever been there?"

Louis raises a sarcastic eyebrow in response, pointing his own finger to the warning written by the river. Clementine rolls her eyes at this, looking back to the map.

"Managed to get Abel to tell us where Lilly had taken the others. He said they have a boat and that that's where Lilly is storing them. He could be lying of course, but..."

"But there's a reason Marlon didn't want us going down to the river so badly. Raiders frequenting the area would be a pretty good reason." Louis adds as the realisation hits him.

"Exactly. It's our and best and only lead right now. I say a few of us make our way down there, see if Abel was telling the truth."

"Why not all of us?"

Clementine shakes her head, frowning down at the map.

"It's too risky. We have no idea what we're walking into, and more people means more chance of them spotting us. Just need a few of us to scout the area, see what we're dealing with and then make a plan to get the others back."

"Sounds good." He tells her, having no idea if it was or not. It was just as it was with Marlon, he would just nod along to whatever Marlon told him, happy to be the one in the background whilst others took charge.

"Willy will probably wanna go, hell I imagine he'd kick up a fuss if we didn't let him. Gives him a distraction from everything, I suppose..." Louis tells her, thinking back to Willy's rage at the raiders

"Okay, its settled. You, Me, AJ and Willy will head out there, and Ruby and Tenn will stay put for now, prepare any supplies we need for the rescue."

"Me?"

"Yes, Louis. You." Clementine responds, confused at his uncertainty

"Are... Are you sure? I haven't exactly done things like this before, and in case you haven't noticed, staying quiet and out of sight _isn't_ exactly my thing."

"Listen, you're gonna be fine, okay? There's no one else I would want by my side during this."

His heart warms at her words, giving her a sheepish smile. 

"Really?"

"Of course, really. I saw you out there last night, how well you held yourself against those raiders. _They_ have fighter training, you don't. Yet you still bested them."

Louis snorts incredously at this, knowing full well he would have been dead or taken in minutes if it wasn't for Clementine saving him.

Him... She saved him... Why? Violet was in trouble, too. Hell, Violet was the one who saved her life when he couldn't. Violet would have been much more useful in this situation than he is. So why did she pick him?

Seeing Clementines fond smile as she looks up at him, he can't find himself to ask her that question just yet.

"Yeah. Damn right I did!" He responds confidently, grabbing onto the lapels of his coat and pulling at them with a grin.

Clementines laugh is warm and light, coaxing him into laughing with her. She pats his chest sarcastically with a shake of her head as she makes her way to the door.

"Come on then, tough guy. We've got a boat to find."


	10. Chapter 10

We're going the right way... Maybe...

This area was familiar, but they hadn't been down here in years, none of them brave enough to go against Marlons wishes as to staying away from the main river near Ericsons, instead remaining restricted to the stream that flowed from it.

He led ahead of the group, being the only one still left at the school that had enough scouting experience in this area, meaning he had the best chance of finding this damn boat.

Louis followed the maps directions in his head, heading west of the school in hopes of stumbling across the river. It was _huge_ , surely they would come across it at some point, right?

He does his best to ignore Willy's rantings of Tenn behind him, knowing Willy was braver to insult Tenn now that Tenn wasn't anywhere nearby. It becomes very difficult to remain quiet and not laugh out loud when AJ threatens Willy into being quiet, and it _works_.

Wait, what was that sound?

There was no denying it now. The sound of a river flowing, gentle waves lashing against metal. The tress break away to show an opening, revealing what they had been searching for.

A boat? That wasn't a boat, that was a goddamn ship!

"Guys! This is it!" Louis throws over his shoulder, voice raspy and quiet to avoid being heard.

AJ and Willy stop arguing about this, immediately falling quiet and lowering themselves as they approach the clearing, hiding behind whatever available cover their was.

AJ grabs the an old pair of binoculars from his jacket, looking over the boat from their hidden position.

"You see anything?" Clementine asks AJ. 

"Uh, the beach. Um, a boat. And... A wooden street in the water."

"That's called a pier" Clementine tells him with an amused tone

"A pier."

God, that kid could be adorable when he wanted to be.

"Okay, everyone spread out and focus on those areas. Remember to keep low and stay out of sight."

They all nod at Clementines instructions, each spreading out to a different area. Louis heads off the right, crouched within the grass to observe the right side of the ship.

Christ, this just became a hell of a lot harder. When Clementine said they were in a boat, he wasn't exactly expecting, well... _This_. The thing was huge, there was no way they were going to be able to find the others and get them out without the raiders finding them.

Speaking of the raiders, he could already tell they were going to be vastly out numbered, and that was only based on who he could see from outside and on top the boat. A few lurked nearby the piers, observing the area for walkers and...

Well, them, probably.

A few outside, a few uptop on the ship, spotlights available that could easily reveal them, even in the cover of night and who the hell knows how many raiders inside. They were going to need one hell of a plan to get everyone out.

"Have you ever seen this thing before?" Clementine asks from beside him, crouched down within the tall grass.

"No way. Pretty sure I would've remembered an old timey river boat. And from where I'm sitting, that pier is the only way inside..."

Clementine nods at his answer, pulling out another pair of binoculars and scanning the area for whatever information may help them.

"Few of them guarding the boat, few others up on deck." She tells him, confirming his own observations.

She gasps suddenly, focused on something within the boat. Louis squints to try and see whatever she had spotted.

"I see Vi."

It was hard to see, but there was no mistaking her; the blonde girls head lowered as she was being forced down towards the other end of the boat by gunpoint.

"Holy shit! This is really it, we found them." Louis exclaimed, relieved Abel was telling the truth. 

"Now we just have to figure out where they're being held..." Clementine mutters thoughtfully, lowering the binoculars from her face.

"Don't boats have brigs? Boat jails." He clarifies the last part at her confused look.

"Maybe, but where?"

Right, that was the important part...

"Now that I... I don't know..."

Clementine shakes her head sadly, raising the binoculars back up to her face.

"Hmm, I see the pilots house"

Pilot house?

"I can see the entrance" She tells him, spotting the large doors that had been pulled up when not in use.

"Yeah, there's one on the other end of the boat too" He points out to her.

"There's a small gap at the top of the doors. AJ and I know how to deal with those."

Uh, okay. No need to expand on that, that's fine.

"There's no way we can get on that pier without any of them spotting us. We're gonna need one hell of a distraction..."

"WALKERS!"

They both jump at the raiders yell, momentarily fearing they had been spotted. A few walkers had limped close, drawn to the boat by its sounds. Within seconds, arrows are fired through the walkers heads, collapsing to the floor and no longer a threat.

Clementine gives him a thoughtful look at this, clearly thinking what he had been thinking. Then again, they had dispatched a small group of walkers in seconds. They were going to need so many more to sneak in.

"Great, now we just need, what, a few dozen walkers? How hard could that be?" He asks sarcastically. 

"Not as hard as you might think..." Clementine responds, already turning to make her way back out of the clearing.

Just one explanation on her cryptic sentences. Just once. That's all he asked for.

Louis follows her as she goes, keeping as low as possible, still acutely aware of how effeciently the raiders had seen and dispatched of the walkers. Willy and AJ notice them, making their way over to join them.

"We should get out of here before they spot us. We can talk about the plan once we're someplace safe." Clementine tells them

All four of them remain crouched, constantly checking over their shoulders to make sure no raiders had spotted them or were following them. After a few painfully slow minutes of practically crawling across the forest floor, they deem the area safe and stand.

"All right, what's the plan?" Louis asks, turning to face Clementine. 

"Well, they've got guards posted on the pier _and_ the boat. There's way too many for us to take all at once. Only way we'll be able to do this is to distract them and sneak on board." Clementine tells them

"We should burn their stuff." AJ tells her bluntly.

"That could work. We could burn their supplies, or the hay they keep for the horses."

"Whatever we don't burn, we should take. Ruby would love the horses, but I'd like to keep those supplies. I could build traps out of those, weapons!" Willy tells Clementine, voice alight with the prospect of what he could do with the supplies.

"Yeah, we'll steal their supplies, then burn the hay as our distraction. But... If you're going to steal from the rafts, you have to be careful." Clementine tells Willy warningly.

"Wouldn't do it any other way."

"Once alight, the fire should lure the raiders away from the boat, and we can sneak onto the pier."

"If they see us, they'll shoot!" Willy says worriedly.

Clementine pauses at this, thinking over the plan in her head.

"You remember that guy I told you about? James? He sent in some walkers before to save us from Lilly and Abel. Maybe we can convince him to do it again...  
If we get a big enough group of them, we can lead them to the ship and hide among them, use them as cover to sneak onto the boat."

Clementine takes in their slightly shocked expressions before turning away, heading down the path they had taken earlier, back towards the school. After clearing his shocked thoughts, Louis jogs over to her side.

"Well, hell yeah! Let's find out how much he charges for his... _Services_."

"What about after we get everyone home? I mean, the raiders will just come attack us again. What then?" Willy asks Clementine worriedly as they walk

The sound of an axe swinging through wood stops Clementine from answering, all of them freezing at the sound.

"Hide, quick!" Clementine hisses at them, pushing them down towards the nearby trees.

Louis drops quickly behind the closest tree, leaning back against the trunk. Clementine and AJ are crouched just in front of him, blocking his view of the person that was making sound ahead of them.

"Raider?" He asks Clementine fearfully.

"Must be. I'll see if I can find anything out from them." Clementine responds, already brandishing her knife and making her way over before he can say anything.

Louis moves up closer with Clementine gone to get a better look of the situation. His stomach drops as he sees Clementine with a knife to a tall woman, catching a familiar glimpse of fiery orange hair, although noticeably shorter than the last time he had seen it.

Could it be? Clementine seemed sure that Lilly was lying about the twins, but then again...

"Clem, stop!"

Clementine looks over to him at his panicked shout, the raider shoving Clementine away now she was distracted.

Holy shit.

Lilly wasn't lying.

"Hey, Minnie"

Clementine steps back from Minnie, as suprised as seeing Louis as he was at the sight of her. Minnie's expression turns from anger to shock when she spots him. He doesn't hesitate, heading straight over to her to envelop her in a hug. God, it had been a year since he had last hug her. He had never expected to hug her ever again...

"After they attacked your school, I wasn't sure... Who survived? Ruby? Mitch? Brody? _Tenn_?" Minnie asks for Tenn in a whisper, dreading he had been lost in the attack.

"Ruby and Tenn's okay. Mitch didn't make it... And Brody, she um... She died..." Willy tells her, saddening himself with his own answer.

"Tenns boots holding up okay?"

"His boots?" AJ asks in confusion, echoing Louis' own thoughts

"They're so old, they're more holes than rubber. I patched them up with tape last time I saw him, but... That was a while ago."

"His boots are fine." Clementine tells her as she crosses her arms, annoyed they were wasting their time on the subject of Tenns boots.

Minnie looks up at Clementines voice, clicking together who she is, face turning to anger upon realising.

"You're Clementine. The one who took over after Marlon died. Funny, I thought everyone would want to lean on their own..."

"I didn't ask for this, it just sort of happened." Clementine tells her truthfully. 

"Is that the kind of wishy washy bullshit you tell everyone back at home or just me?"

Whoa, where had that come from? That certainly wasn't like Minnie.

"Excuse me?" Clementine asks in irritation, not expecting the sudden turn of tone. 

"Abel figured he could talk Marlon into handing everyone over like he and Lilly did... Like he did before. You ruined the whole plan." Minnie tells Clementine, glaring down at her. 

Was Minnie really in on this? In just letting all of them being taken away as she was, to fight in a war they had no part in?

"What are you talking about? Marlon traded you and Sophie away like it was nothing!" Louis says in exasperation. 

"Yeah and we all survived it! Marlon would never have made them fight the way you did. He wouldn't have gotten people killed. " Minnie spits at Clementine.

Well, yeah, Marlon would never have made them fight. And if that happened, they would all be taken, to die in someone else's war.

"That is some Grade-A bullshit. Clem saved us." Louis tells her, voice rising in anger when Minnie continues to criticise Clementine. 

"Oh yeah? Then how come so many people are dead."

"He wouldn't have gotten people killed? Marlon murdered Brody!" Clementine snaps, moving towards Minnie. 

"What?" Minnie exclaims, rearing back in shock, clearly not expecting Marlon to do such a thing.

What had the raiders done to her? She had changed just as Marlon did, the person in front of him nothing more than a shell of her former self. He has no doubt that they wouldnt be better off if they had just given themselves up, but Minnie sure believes it, says everyone survived when Marlon traded her and Sophie away. But if that was the case, then where...

"Minnie, where's Sophie?"

Minnies shock turns to sadness at his question, facing him with eyes of despair.

"She died, protecting the Delta. A hero." Minnie tells him, straightening her back with what almost seemed like pride.

A hero? A hero?! They had been taken from their home, had God knows what done to them, forced to fight for people they weren't with, shouldn't care for. Sophie gave her life for these bastards, why the fuck was Minnie so proud of that?

"A hero? God, you're-"

"Minerva!"

Oh fuck, he knew that voice. Clementine reacts instantly, shoving his arm in panic to push them into hiding. He follows at once, diving over to the nearby trees with Clementine and AJ.

"Rockingham!"

Rockingham?

Just a year ago, he would have no doubt that Minnie had his back. Now? Her giving them up to those assholes seemed just as likely.

"Finish up and head back in. I want to be in before dark." Lilly commands her soldier. 

Minnie's eyes slide over to where they're hiding. It would be so easy for her to just give them up now. Louis stares back at her, expression begging, _pleading_. If there was any of the Minnie he knew left in there, she wouldn't do it.

"Yes ma'am"

Satisfied, Lilly turns and heads back towards the boats, her guards following suit. Once gone, Minnie grabs the fire axe she had dropped when Clementine had ambushed her, marching back over to where they were hiding.

"Our boat leaves for the Delta in two days. Then, we'll come back for the rest of you. When that happens? Don't fight it. I'm serious. The only way you're going to be able to save your people is if you let us take them." Minnie hisses at Clementine.

"It's not too late, Minnie. You could come back to the school with us." Clementine offers in invitation.

Minnie rears back, the mention of the school bringing back painful memories of the life she had left behind.

"No. No I couldn't."

Minnie looks to them one last time before heading off in Lillys direction, dissappearing among the trees. Once gone, they move from their hiding spot and out into the open, breathing a slight sigh of relief.

 _Our_ boat. She said our. Does...does she really see herself as one of their own? After a year of being kidnapped, was the Delta her home? Her family?

"Are you okay?" Clementine asks him in concern, seeing the confliction on his face.

No, not in the slightest. Minnie was alive, but not really. Life was cruel, bringing someone he loved back from the dead, only to reveal they weren't _really_ there.

"It doesn't change anything. We still need to get onto that boat." He tells her, Minnie's words only fueling his desire to rescue the others.

If the raiders could convince Minnie and Sophie to fight against their own in one year, how long would it take for them to break Aasim, or Omar, Or...

Vi... God, she was strong, but if Minnie was with them, convincing them to fight for them? He wasn't too sure if she would fight back against it...

Clementine smiles, rubbing his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

"Me and AJ will head out, see if we can find James. You and Willy go back to the school, tell the others the plan."

"Be safe." He whispers softly to her, wanting nothing more than to kiss her goodbye but not feeling too sure as to how AJ may react to it...

Instead, he's forced to watch her sadly as she goes, AJ leading the front as they make their way into the forest in search of their mystery walker man. Louis sighs deeply, turning to Willy who stands with bow in hands, an eyebrow raised in questioning.

"What was _that_?" Willy asks him, looking between Louis and the space where Clementine had left. 

"Gonna need to be more specific there, buddy."

"The looking."

"The looking?"

" _Yes_ , the looking. Come on, don't treat me like a kid."

"But you are-"

"I'm not a kid!"

Louis laughs at Willy's scowl, turning away from him to make his way towards the school.

"Come on, we need to get back to the others."

"Oh, no! You are not escaping that easy!" Willy teases as he jogs to catch up with him.

Damn it...

"I'm not blind! You were giving eachother those weird... Looks. Like the ones Violet and Minnie used to have! And the ones Aasim gives Ruby when she's not looking."

Kids more observant than he thought...

"And your point is...."

"Are you guys, like, a thing now? "

That... Was a good question. _Were_ they a 'thing'? Sure, they had confessed their feelings to eachother and she had kissed him. Twice, in fact. But, that didn't exactly mean they were a couple now. 

"You know what, Willy? I honestly don't know." Louis tells him sadly.  
"I mean, it's not like the old world where I can just ask her out on a date or something."

"Why not?"

"Because... Because..."

Wait, why couldn't he? There wasn't anywhere to go, or do, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was improvisation. Besides, as long as he got to spend some time with Clementine, it was good in his books.

"Willy, you're a genius."

"Uh, thanks?" Willy says, watching confused but amused as Louis picks up his pace, eager to get back to the school.

Time to plan a date with Clementine. Well, he just hopes she'll agree to it...

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruby and Tenn are clearing the last of the debris from last night as he and Willy make their way to the gates, relief on their face at the sight of them returning safely.

"Oh, thank God. You're alright." Ruby tells them with a relieved smile, though it quickly changes to a frown as she peers behind them.

"Where are Clementine and AJ?"

"Out finding the walker guy." Willy tells her rather unhelpfully, already making his way past them towards the main building.

"Oh, that's alright, Willy! I'm more than happy to be the only one to tell them the plan!" Louis shouts after him sarcastically, to which Willy puts up his middle finger over his shoulder.

Seems that Mitch wasn't completly gone after all, a mini Mitch surfacing in his place...

"I'll talk to him later." Ruby tells him gently with a smile.  
"So, a plan? Take it that means ya' found the boat?"

"Sure did. Things huge, though. Raiders were crawling all over it.."

"There a lot of them?"

"More than us, from what we can tell. Spotlights, too. There's two entrances in the boat, two seperate piers leading up it. It's the only way in or out, and it's well guarded."

"How are we going to get in?" Tenn asks him anxiously

"Clementine said the only way we can get in is if we distract the guards. Her plan for that is to get a group of walkers, a bunch of them, and sneak among them and into the boat."

"Sneak into the boat among a herd of walkers? How are we going to do that without getting bit?"

Huh, he hadn't actually thought about that part... Surely Clementine has, otherwise she wouldn't have suggested it.

"I... Uh, I don't actually know the answer to that. Clementine seems to know what she's doing though, so I'm sure it'll be fine."

Ruby and Tenn don't look too assured at his words.

"How are we going to get a group of walkers anyway?" Ruby asks

"That's where James comes in. You remember Clementine said there was a guy that helped her and AJ after... After we kicked them out?"

Ruby looks sad at the mention of their wrong doing, but nods in confirmation.

"The one that helped get the shrapnel out of little AJ? Yeah, she mentioned him"

"Willy said he was wearing walker skin the first time they met. Didn't believe him at first, but... Clementine said he sent in walkers when she was attacked by Lilly and Abel, as if he can control them."

"Control them? The walkers?" Ruby asks in disbelief.

"Sounds crazy, I know. But if Clementine says he can do it, I believe her. She and AJ are out there right now, looking for him to see if he might help."

"The raiders have guns though, right? Whats to stop them from just shooting into the herd and hitting us?"

"Clems planned some other distractions as well. This is where you guys will come in. Willy is going to be focused on cutting the supplies loose, whilst you guys head over to the horses-"

"They have horses?" Ruby asks in delight at the idea of being around horses again.

"Yeah, but... We need you to set fire to the hay nearby them. Horses will probably be spooked by the fire, so be careful."

"Couldn't we... Take the horses?" Tenn asks  
"I mean, they used the horses to take everyone away, right? If we take the horses, wouldn't it make it harder for them to chase us back to the school?"

Louis mulls over his words. The plan was only to set fire to the hay, but it _would_ certainly help if they took away a vital form of transportation.

He looks up at Ruby's hopeful face, sighing when he knows he can't argue against it.

"I mean, you can try. But don't forget, we've gotta focus on distracting the raiders. If taking the horses puts you at risk, it's not worth it." He tells them, not wanting them to risk their lives or the plan over some horses.

Louis begins to walk towards the main building when Ruby's voice stops him.

"Oh, nearly forgot. It's going to sound silly but..."

"Silly? Ruby, remember who you're talking to here."

"Well, me and Tenn were talking, about how upset Willy is and how on edge everyone else is about the rescue and all that and we thought, maybe we could throw a party?"

"A party?"

"Yeah, I thought it'd be nice to get together in the music room, maybe light some candles, play some music, some games, something like that."

Louis smiles at the thought. He couldn't remember the last time they had all got together and just had a night of fun, pretending the apocalypse wasn't happening right outside their window.

"That sounds like a great idea, you guys. Need any help?"

"Sure, was about to head down into the basement to see what supplies we got."

"Lead the way." Louis tells her with a flourish of his hand, the two of them heading towards the basement doors whilst Tenn headed inside for his own art supplies.

Louis closes the door behind them, Ruby leading ahead as she makes her way down the basement stairs. He nearly falls down the stairs at Ruby's panicked shout, sprinting with Chairles in hand and coming to a stop when he saw what had frightened her.

Of course... Abel...

He sat in the chair where they had left him, now with a hole in the side of his head, blood trailing down his face and leaving a large stain on the concrete below him.  
When Clem said she had killed him, he wasn't expecting her to have done it quite so... Brutally.

"Shit, sorry Ruby. I forgot he was down here."

"Its fine, just... Caught me off guard, is all..." She trailed off, unable to take her eyes off the thief's corpse.

"We'll move him once all this is over. For now, let's just find what we need." He reassures her.

They seperate, combing the aisles of the basement in search of whatever supplies they can find. He has to resist a cheer when he comes across a crate of records the music teacher must have stashed down here, knowing now they had some extra choices for the old gramaphone that was collecting dust. Plus, as much as he loved it, it meant he wouldn't be stuck playing piano _all_ night...

"Great! Just what I was looking for!" Rubys cheer comes from nearby, Louis carrying the crate over to see what she had found.

"What is it?"

"Our supplies from art class! Means we can dress up the room all nice. These I'm most excited for" Ruby tells him, pointing out a box of colored jars and candles.

"What do you want them for?"

"As nice as natural candle light is, it's not really a party without some color. We could put the candles in the jars, light up the room a little."

"Nice idea. What color are you gonna go for?"

"Hmm, not too sure. Maybe I'll ask Clementine when she gets back, see what she wants."

Louis nods to her, looking over the abundance of candles in the box, the sight giving him an idea.

"Hey, Ruby. Mind if I take one of these candles?"

"Sure, hon. What for?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a little thing I had in mind."

"Oh really? That 'little thing' wouldn't happen to be named after a certain fruit, now would it?"

"Uh -- Its -- Well- - You see--"

Rubys laughs at his embarrassed stutters, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

"I'm just messing with you. It would be pretty damn difficult not to see the way you look at her. And the way she looks at you, too. It's sweet, and something we don't see in this world all too often."

"Thanks, Ruby." He tells her with a warm smile.

Rosies barks come from outside in the courtyard, alerting them that someone was approaching the gates.

"With any luck, that'll be Clementine and AJ coming back." Ruby tells him as she bends down to pick up some blankets from one of the boxes.  
"Well, what are you waiting for? Aren't you supposed to be planning something for that 'little thing?'"

Louis chuckles at her teasing, shaking his head.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis stands alone in his room, taking deep breaths to control his nerves. What was the chance of Clementine rejecting his offer to a date? 50/50? 70/30?

Shit, best not to think about that kind of thing. Just gotta go down there and ask, be smooth, be yourself. It's what she likes about him, right?

Alright, what was more romantic than a candle light dinner? Who could say no to that! Except... He had the candle light but... No dinner.

Fuck. Even if they had time to go hunting, Omar was no longer with them, the only one in their group capable of making something edible.

An idea forms in his head, dropping quickly to search the space under his bed for the food he knew he had stashed somewhere for special occasions...

He let's out a small triumphant cheer when he grabs onto some packaging, happily pulling out a bag of...

Pretzels?

Eh, it will do.

Placing the bag in his coat with a smile, he makes his way down to Clementine and AJ's room before he can psych himself out anymore with the idea of rejection.

His happy mood is brought to a screeching halt as he passes by Tenn and... And Violets room...  
Tenn had left the door open, Louis able to look in and to Violets empty bed...

Shit, she should be here. He wished he could talk to her, for her to help give him advice. Hell, if she was here, there would be a much better chance of getting everyone out of that boat.

The thoughts remain in his head as he again makes his way down the hall, stopping just outside of Clementines room. Just as he lifts a hand to knock, the door swings open, revealing AJ with his revolver.

"Hey, little man" He greets AJ with a smile.

"Hi, Louis. I'm going on patrol."

Patrol?

AJ moves past him, making his way down the hall and out to... Well, Patrol... Presumably...

"So, patrollings a thing?" He asks Clementine in amusement

"Mh-hm. Patrollings a thing"

The whole reason he had come down here was to ask her on this date, running over the different ways he could start the conversation in his mind just moments before. But now, there was only one thing he could think of, completly derailing his thoughts.

Louis rubs his neck nervously, wanting to ask her about it but not knowing how best to approach it. He moves over to the bookcase by the bed, leaning up against it and staring down at the floor.

"I was thinking... Well I couldn't help but wondering... You shot that raider that grabbed me, but, you saw them grab Violet, too. Which means you could have saved Violet, and not me. Why... Why would you pick me? I mean, I wouldn't have picked me. Don't know anyone who would."

Clementines face drops sadly at his words, and he hates that he caused that. Still, he needs to know. Needs to know _why_ she deemed his life more important than Violets.

"I couldn't let them take you. You're too important to me"

Louis looks to her in shock, the words impacting him deeply.

Too important.... He was too important to her? Did she really care for him that much that she couldn't bear the thought of him being taken away, just as he couldn't bear the thought of her being taken away from him?

"I'm always teasing her. Trying to get her to do that one eye roll she does. You know the one. Where you're such a dumbass she has to do a full body eye roll." Louis tells her as he moves from the bookshelf, walking over to the only window.

"I do it, because when I actually do manage to make her laugh, it's _worth_ it. If I needed her, she'd be there. Meat cleaver in hand, ready to chop somebody in half if it meant protecting me."

And he meant every damn word. They may tease eachother, but it was their weird way of showing how much they cared. She would joke about how much she hates him, but he knows the second he's in danger, she would be there. No matter what.

"Hey, we're going to get them back, Louis."

Clementine was right. They had a plan, and a good one at that. No matter what, they were going to get them back.

"Yeah, damn right we will! Actually, that's... That's not the only reason I dropped by." He tells her gleefully, grabbing the lapels of his coat in confidence at her words as his former idea comes back to his mind.

"Rubys whole party idea kind of made me realise something." He continues, pulling out the candle and pretzels he had stashed out of his coat, lowering himself to the floor and looking up to Clementine, expectant yet nervous.

"What are you doing?" She asks, part in amusement and part in suspicion.

He couldn't blame her. He _was_ Louis, after all.

"I figured since we might die tomorrow and never get to go on a real date..." He begins, pulling a box of matches out of his coat and attempting to light one.

"I thought we could... Dammit!" He curses as the match foils his plans, refusing to light. With dramatic timing to match his own, it finally catches a spark and begins to burn.

"Have one now..." He finishes, lighting the candle he had placed on the floor.  
"I promise I'll keep it short so we can get to the party. But nothings wrong with short and sweet, right?" He asks her suggestively.

That didn't exactly sound the way he wanted it to...

"Oh, Uh, I - - Forget I said that."

"Let's do it." She tells him with a smile, immedietly washing away his fears of rejection.  
"I never thought I'd get to go on a date...Ever."

She couldn't be serious, right?

"Really? Never? Have you _met_ you? End of the world or not, someone would have at least tried to sweep you off your feet."

"All right, all right. " She stops his flirting, fighting the blush that inevitably appears at his words.

"What? It's true!" He defends himself

"What do you know about dating anyway?" Clementine asks as she sits opposite him.

"I'll have you know I found some old magazines in the headmasters office that had some _very_ interesting things to say about the dating world."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"Like, it said you can tell a lot about a person, based on what they look for in a partner. You know; brains, brawns, dashing good looks, great sense of humor. That sort of thing..." He trails off, the nerves he was feeling earlier staring to return as she stares back intensely.

"Okay?"

"What, uh... What would you say your thing is? That you look for in a guy, I mean."

His nerves only build as she takes her time, thinking over his question. He's not too sure where to look, eyes darting from the window, to her, and to the floor.

"Hmmm, I think I prefer... A good sense of humor." She answers with a smile.

Oh, thank god. That, at least, he knew he had.

"Alright, I see you. You got me this time"

"If only I knew someone with one of those."

Well, damn! Looks like he wasn't the only one with a sense of humor in this school.

"I think that deserves a toast." He tells her, reaching into the bag of pretzels, offering one to Clementine.

"A toast? Don't those usually come at the end?"

"Hey, I warned you I'd make this quick." He responds, raising the pretzel in a toast.

"So, what do you say? To our last night alive!"

She shakes her head in amusement at his, uh, 'optimistic' comment, raising her own pretzel.

"How about... To bringing everyone home"

If he wasn't careful, he was going to fall for her, and fall hard...

And honestly, that would be okay.

"Yeah, yeah I think I prefer that one too." He tells her tenderly, knocking their pretzels together before popping it into his mouth.

Louis extinguishes the candle, grabbing it and storing it in his coat before he stands, the smell of the burning candle lingering in the room as Clementine stands with him, the two gazing at one another.

"So, I guess I'll see you down there?"

It's then that he sees the look Ruby was talking about, the one he had somehow always missed. The look that Willy had teased him about, the one he damn well knew he was giving to her in return, because he just couldnt help it. How could he not, when someone as beautiful as her was standing in front of him?

The room is full of tension and the electricity he had felt back in the music room the night before, wanting nothing more than to kiss her.

And based on the way he could see her eyes flicker to his lips, she felt the same way.

His leg twitches in anticipation, alreading planning to move closer to her before his own brain could catch up to it-

"Hey, Clem!"

Son of a...

The two startle apart at the interruption of AJ, looking to the door as it flies open. He barely has any time to say a thing before there's a rush of color, an inflated ball smacking Clementine right in the face, clearly caught off guard as much as him.

Mustn't laugh, or she'll hit him. Mustn't laugh, or she'll hit him...

"Wow, a beach ball! Where did you find this?" Clementine asks AJ in wonderment.

"It was in a garbage can behind one of the dorms. I had to blow it up, and that was pretty gross, but look! It works!"

The laugh slips out of him before he can stop it, Clementine and AJ looking to him with a smile at the sound.

"I should be heading back to the admin building." He tells Clementine, smile still on his face at AJ's antics. She smiles back at him, his smile proving contagious.

Louis heads out of the room, waving at AJ as he makes his way out. AJ looks to him in confusion, likely wondering what him and Clementine were doing before he interrupted.

He'll have to tell him one day. With any luck, the kid will let him into his little family.  
If not? They were always Team Fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to throw a little warning in here that chapter updates might slow down a bit. I'll try my best to keep them coming, but wanted to let you guys know.


	11. Chapter 11

The music room is in full preperation mode when he enters, the supplies they had gathered earlier spread across the room, Tenn pillaging through them to find what he needs with a ripped and tattered old bed sheet lying next to him.

"Hey, Tenn. What you working on?" He asks Tenn as he approaches.

"Ruby said we should have a banner for the party, hang it up somewhere in the room. I was looking for more paints to use."

"Sounds like a plan. Wheres Ruby?"

"Over here." A voice comes from behind him, Louis turning to see Ruby entering the room with some cups and tea supplies in her hands.  
"Was about to go lookin' for you, actually. Could you give me a hand pulling down the gramophone from the headmasters office?"

"Sure. Can't be that heavy, right?"

It was, in fact, heavy.

He tries his best not to show the way his arms trembled from the effort as they slowly made their way down the stairs, fully expecting at any moment to take a wrong step backwards and tumble down the stairs.

That would be great, wouldn't it?

Oh, how did you die, Louis? Did you sacrifice yourself heroically on the raiders boat to get your friends back?

Of course not! _My_ dumbass slipped down the stairs and my ribs were crushed by the gramophone I was stupidly carrying down the stairs.

"So, did ya' get to use your candle?" Ruby asks him as they steadily approach the music room.

"Yeah, I did actually. Never thought I'd be able to convince Clementine to go on a date"

"A date? You asked her on a date? That is just too adorable." Ruby drawls in her southern accent.

Louis smiles at the memory of their date earlier, having to agree with Ruby's words.

"I can't remember the last time I talked to someone about dates. Last time was probably with Vi and Minnie... Sometime last year. Its just nice to see, y'know? I mean, not exactly like its something I can have"

"What? Why not?" Louis asks her in confusion.

"If you haven't noticed, theres not exactly many of us around."

"That's not true!"

"Oh really? In that case, who would you suggest?"

Aasims name is on the tip of his tongue, wanting to see if there might be any hidden feelings she was harbouring towards Aasim. He stops himself, remembering that with Aasim gone, it might be a sore subject.

Louis simply shrugs his shoulders at her in response to her question, checking over his shoulder so he wouldn't smack into anything as he backed towards the music room door.

"I'm just saying. You never know."

They place the gramophone down by the piano just as Clementine and AJ enter the room. AJ spots the gramophone immediately, rushing over to inspect the new object.

"Wow, this place is really starting to come together." Clementine tells Ruby in amazement as she looks around the room.

"We still need to figure out mood lighting, music and what to write on that banner."

"Music? You gonna play the piano all night?" AJ asks, looking up to Louis.

"God no! I actually wanna attend this thing!"

"Then, how?"

"You've never seen a record player before? Come here buddy, I'll show you." He tells AJ gesturing to the gramophone. AJ eagerly gets closer at Louis' request, wanting to know more.

"Look, check this out. When you turn that crank there, it plays music. Any kind you want."

"But how?"

How? Well that was easy, it... Uh... The needle... When you turned the crank it makes it...

"Well that, I... I don't really know. But showings better than telling."

Clementine and Ruby make their way over to the two of them as he cranks the handle, AJ crouching to get a better look of the needle and how it moved in response.

"Pulled out the old headmaster's gramophone so we could play some music. Not much of a selection, but, it should do." Ruby tells Clementine as she examines the crate of records sat nearby. 

"You guys have any classical?"

"You bet"

Oh, she sure knew how to make him swoon.

"Ah, a woman after my own heart" He tells Clementine with a grin, placing his hand over his heart.

Louis pulls one of their classical records out from the crate they had placed in the room earlier as Clementine and AJ move towards the candles Ruby had collected. He hands the record to AJ to let the young boy have a better look.

"I've been going back and forth on mood lighting. Greens calming, but, purple might be nice... Room gets natural moonlight, so something to compliment that maybe?"

"Well, purple was my dad's favorite color." Clementine tells Ruby as she looks to the different colored jars available.

"I heard somewhere that purple was the color of royalty"

"And that describes us not at all." Louis teases them from his spot by the gramophone.

They both shrug at him, ultimately deciding to go with the purple jars for their 'mood lighting' for tonight. Finally, they move to the torn bed sheets, the last decision for the party.

"Are we using the banner for some sort of... Party theme?" Clementine asks Ruby

"Not exactly. It's meant to be more motivational. I'd keep it short though, there's not as much room as you'd think. I was thinking something uplifting, like: We're gonna get through this!" Ruby says to Clementine as they ponder over what to write.

"AJ, why don't you pick something?"

Look, he liked the kid as much as the next guy, but letting a five year old pick what to write for morale? This was going to be good...

"Yeah, I have an idea for what to write! It's a surprise." AJ tells them excitedly

"Really?" Ruby asks, also uncertain at the idea.

"I promise not to swear all over it."

He hadn't even thought of that...

"Alright, we'll have Tenn break out his paintbrush and write it on there." Ruby gives in at AJs excited face.  
"Oh, and Willys upstairs lookin' for ya'. Said he had a surprise for the party, but wanted to talk to you about it first."

Clementine nods to Ruby, heading out of the music room and towards the stairs to where Willy waits. AJ bounces off to Tenn, whispering his idea into Tenns ear. Louis watches with a smile as Tenn giggles and nods, grinning at AJ as he begins painting AJ's words on the banner.

"Okay, this is ready." Tenn says, sitting back from his creation and looking over to where Louis stood. Louis walks away from the gramophone over to Tenn, who points to the area above the fireplace and across to the other wall.  
"We should put it there, it's the best way to see it."

"Sure thing, I'll help you put it up, hon" Ruby says as she finishes lighting the last of the candles. Louis turns to take in the room that was now covered in a purple glow, the sun beginning to set and mixing the rooms colors with purples, oranges and reds.

"Could you put on the music Clem selected while I help Tenn?" Ruby asks Louis as she walks over to the boy in question.

"Can I help you, Louis?" AJ asks, still intrigued as to how this mystery box was going to play music.

"Sure thing, bud." Louis tells him with a smile, handing the record over.  
"Just place that up on the record player, right under the needle."

AJ follows his instructions, placing the disk as delicately as possible in fear of breaking it. Louis looks to check on Ruby and Tenn, the banner fully stretched out across the two walls. He bursts into laughter at the 'SURPRISE, DUMMIES!" written across the banner.

"Good one, AJ." He tells him when his laughter begins to die down, AJ beaming with pride at the praise from the older boy.

"Now what?" AJ asks him, wanting to get the music started.

"Just grab that handle there and start cranking it."

"Cranking it?"

"Yeah, cranking it. Basically just rotate your arm as you hold the handle. Once you let go, the record will start spinning and music will come out of the speaker here." Louis clarifies, tapping the metal speaker sat atop the record holder.

AJ looks skeptical at the idea, but goes for it anyway. The poor boy seems honestly shocked when the box actually does what Louis promised, gentle classical music pouring out once he had finished turning the handle.

"Alright, everyone. Get ready to boogie!" Ruby declares upon hearing the music had started, stepping away to admire the work they had done.

"What does 'boogie' mean?" AJ asks Louis, not knowing the word.

Bless this small child that knows too much and nothing at all at the same time...

"Another word for dance, little man." Louis tells him, leaning against the piano behind him.

"Oh, dancing! Like disco broccoli?" AJ asks enthusiasticlly

"Yeah, exactly like disco brocolli."

"I can dance!"

"Oh really? I don't think I believe you." Louis teases him, loving the annoyed squint AJ gives him in return.

"I can!"

"Oh well in that case, you better show me! Come on AJ, get down and boogie!"

AJ is more than happy to comply, busting out how own dance moves to the music spilling from the gramaphone next to him. Louis gives him a toothy smile, shaking his head fondly as the kid dances without a care in the world.

The moment Clementine walks in the room, it's like everything else just... Slips away. The music, the light of the candles, everything. It's just _her_. He knows he's probably staring at her with a puppy dog look as she compliments Ruby about the party, but he doesn't even care at this point. This could very well be their last night alive, he was going to express how much he cares for her. 

AJ continues to dance to the music in front of him as Clementine makes her way around the group, leaning over to talk to Tenn and Willy who are holding what looks suspiciously like a bomb that Mitch would have made, the words "FUCK YOU RAIDERS" scrawled across in black ink.

Clementine stands back up from her conversation, catching his eye and smiling gently to him at the sight of him and AJ together. He returns the smile probably a bit too eagerly, wanting her to be closer to him. 

"I found them!" Comes Ruby's delighted voice, box of files in hand as she makes her way down from the top of the bookshelves.  
"These are our _official_ Ericsons psych evaluation reports!"

"Okay?" Clementine asks in confusion

"I don't get it..." AJ adds with a perplexed frown, equally as confused

"Well _these_ explain why all of us got sent here in the first place." Ruby responds, Willy and Tenn joining her as she sits with the files.

"And how we got stuck here as long as we did." Louis adds on, sitting down next to Clementine as the group forms a circle in the middle of the music room.

"So... what's the game?" Clementine asks, giving in and sitting to join the others.

"I thought that since we're going on this crazy mission together, that you should get to know the rest of us. I'll read what the _adults_ thought about us, and you have to guess which one of us fits the bill. I'll make sure it's someone you've actually met... This will be the first." Ruby explains, plucking out a file from within the box.

"While otherwise a remarkable student, _blank_ continues to be plagued by fits of anger, uncontrollable cursing and repeated physical altercations with the senior faculty." Ruby reads out loud to Clementine who studies everyone closely for a reaction, landing on Louis who watches her with a look of pride in an attempt to throw her off.

"Hmmm, well... That pretty much describes everyone here."

They all laugh at her assessment, her words ringing truth. Well, not completly...

"Hey! I'm the most well mannered youth you've ever met!" Louis tells her with fake offence.

"I never swear." Tenn inputs

"He doesn't!" AJ clarifies in amazement.

"That's Ruby's file!" Willy bursts out, unable to keep the information inside.

"Holy shit, really?"

"Our sweet Ruby here was kind of a nightmare when she first showed up" Louis tells Clementine, giving a fake shiver at the memories of their early interactions at the school.

"She once chased the Home Ec. Teacher around the school with a barbecue fork _this_ big." Tenn tells a gob-smacked AJ, slightly exaggerating the size of the fork with his hands.

"No way..."

"Don't worry. That was a long time ago." Ruby assures him

"I mean, I can totally see it. First time I met Ruby, she was all; _That little motherfucker_ " Clementine does her best impression of Ruby's southern accent, the group once again collapsing into giggles at the sound of it.

"I said I was sorry." AJ murmurs in apology, to which Ruby throws him a wink.

"You guys wanna know why I get sent here?"

Oh, no, Willy, no! That was something you kept to yourself, not tell others.

"Dude, no-"

"Chronic Masturbation!"

Cant say he didn't try.

He was fairly certain that this was the first time someone had said something so shocking that Clementine was just sat with her mouth open in response.

"Willy, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that no one has ever, _ever_ wanted to know that." Louis tells Willy with a shake of his head

Willy looks down to the ground, saddened and slightly shamed by their reaction.

"What does that mean?"

Oh AJ. You sweet, sweet innocent child...

"Uh-uh! Don't you dare!" Clementine tells him and Willy sternly, pointing a finger to the both of them. He has to bite his tongue hard at the look on AJ's face after Tenn leans over to whisper something in his ear that, quite honestly, is something he shouldn't really know at this age.

"Uh, anyway, maybe we should change up the music?" Ruby asks, desperately wanting to get away from the subject.

"I like all kinds of music, I think." AJ says in thought.

"There are lots of types of music."

"How many?"

"I don't know. Lots."

"Sure, we've heard enough of this. Throw on some country." Clementine tells Ruby, both her and Willy giving a "hell yeah!" in response.

Willy rushes over to change the record, the calming classical changing to the twangy sounds of a country guitar. Wasn't his favorite, but he might have to change his mind at the sight of AJ and Clementine bobbing their heads along to the music.

"I didn't realize how many we'd lost..." Ruby says in an upset tone as she rummaged through the files, pulling his attention away.

"Remember that Justin guy?" Willy asks them.

All too well...

"And Therissa. Jasper. That one girl with the colored braces. And Joey... Maddie, Lamar." Tenn adds to the list of names.

"Erin. She was the one with the braces." Louis tells him, fighting off the painful memories of those that were gone.

"Drewey, Trey, Stephanie... Holy crap, how many of us died?"

"34..." Ruby mutters, still staring down at the records in front of her.

34? God, he never stopped to think the actual number of people they'd lost, instead focusing on the names, of the person they were. Saying it out loud just made them seem like... Like another statistic.

Ruby's hands still as she comes cross a file, slowly pulling it out from its place on the box, looking down at it in uncertainty.

"Whose is it?" Clementine asks, worried at the look on Ruby's face.

"Violets"

There's a gap of silence, no one knowing what to say.

"Should we read it?" Willy asks nervously.

No. No, they shouldn't. No one should tell Vi's story other than Vi. It wouldn't be fair to share her story without her knowing, without her consent.

"I could tell you guys my story instead. What got me sent here, I mean. If you want... Its... Not great"

"I was kind of hoping you'd tell me." Clementine tells him with an encouraging look.

It was worth it, if they didn't ask about Violets story. Still, he could only pray Clementine wouldn't be disgusted with him after she finds out the truth.

"So... My family was stupid rich. Gave me anything I wanted, whenever I wanted it. Except for one thing: Singing Lessons. God, I begged my dad. Told him I wanted to be a real musician. But he'd just tell me; 'You get to be happy, or you get to be rich. Can't be both.' I know now he was just trying to teach me a dumb dad lesson, but... I hated him for that.

So I thought, I'll teach _him_ a lesson. I thought: I'll break up my parents marriage. That'd hurt real bad, right?  
So, I broke into my dad's credit card accounts and made all these purchases in his name. Did this for over a year. This was how rich we were; He never noticed he was spending a fortune on a mistress I'd made up for him.

But I made sure my mom did... Sent her the receipts for the jewelry, the hotels rooms, all of it.  
She confronted him, he denied it. They had a fight all night long. I sat in the corner and cried to make it...  _feel more real_.

After the divorce, I told them the truth. I said 'You get to be happy, or you get to be rich. Can't be both.'  
You know, those two would've been happily married forever, but... I had to go be a vindictive fuck-head. "

He stares down at his legs as the group sits in silence at his story, feeling too ashamed to look at Clementine to see how she was reacting to it all.

"I came here, the week after..."

"I can tell by the look on your face that you regret it." She tells him softly. He looks to her with a grimace, not deserving her comforting words.

"They said we were bad people, Clem. They're not wrong... Still, none of us deserved to get ditched out here by the people that were supposed to make us better."

"Sorry, this was supposed to be fun. Guess I'm not really a game kind of person..." Ruby says guiltily from opposite him.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up. You said it yourself, Clem needs to know who she's leading into battle."

"Hey, I've got an idea." Tenn pipes up, mostly hiding behind a pillow much too big for him.  
"Remember when Minnie used to sing us 'Don't Be Afraid' when all of us used to get scared?"

Oh, wow. Don't Be Afraid. He hadn't played that in... Years...

"Of course I remember. I helped compose it with her."

"Could you... Maybe play it for us? If Violet was here, she could sing the words, but-"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to, Tenn." He interrupts the boy when the mention of Violet only brings more pain, standing and making his way over to the piano, feeling all eyes on him.

A small smile slips onto his face when he catches sight of his and Clementines carving as he sits, taking a deep breath to prepare himself.

"This is for you, Minnie"

He begins playing, the song now a type of muscle reflex for him. He hadn't played it in a while, but he would play it _constantly_ when they were younger.

Back when all this started, when the monsters they had read in fairytales and comics suddenly came to life. They were nothing more than a bunch of terrified kids huddled together, wondering when their parents would return and somehow save them from this nightmare. On particular nights like those, he and Minnie would perform, the song being the only thing that could calm everyone down. It wasn't the same without Minnie's soft voice, but it still brought a sense of comfort.

His eyes drift over to the fireplace as he plays, the drawing on the  piece of paper catching his attention. His face drops when he recognises Violet, Aasim and Omar amongst AJ's scribbles, feeling their lack of presence strongly.

The last notes of the song linger in the air, matching the dreary mood that had set into the room.

Louis' fingers hover over the keys for a slight second after he finishes before turning to Clementine with a somber look.

Like the others in the room, she held a sad expression. Seeing Louis looking over, she gave him an encouraging smile.

AJ approaches from the side with one of the jars in his hand, the slowly dying flame casting a purple shade over Clementines face as he grew closer.

Clementine turns from Louis, watching as AJ looks down at the candle and inhales deeply. With a sharp exhale the flame extinguishes, plunging the two into darkness.

The others begin to stand, following AJs lead by blowing out the other candles placed around the room.

Soon the room was lit only by moonlight, filled with silence. The occupants of the room glanced at one another, unsure of their next move.

"I think it's best we head to bed. Only got a' few hours before we set out, after all. Best ta' get some rest" Ruby says, moving towards the exit of the room.

No one replies, deciding it best to follow her out and to their respective rooms.

"I'll join you in a second AJ, get yourself ready for bed" Clementine instructs the boy gently.

Louis continues to gaze down at the piano in front of him, thoughts plagued with guilt knowing that here he sat, safe and sound, whilst the others were trapped.

What was happening to them? Were they being hurt? Tormented? Tricked, like Minnie was? Or already dead, like Sophie...

The bench dips and creaks next to him, letting him know someone had sat down. He can see Clementines concerned look from the corner of his vision.

"You okay?" Her voice was soft, comforting.

"No. But I will be." He assures her, pausing briefly.  
"We've gotta get them back, Clem. We just have to. I don't know what I'll do if we can't." Louis admits, finally lifting his eyes to meet hers.

"We're doing everything we can, Louis. There's nothing else we can do but wait."

Louis nods at her words and looks away to the piano in front of him. A tender smile comes to his face at the sight of the carving in the surface of the piano, raising a finger to trace the heart and initials.

The events of last night were a blur, too much happening all at once. But that moment, the two of them sat as they are now, Clementine confessing how she felt about him? He knew that would be forever ingrained into his memory as long as he lives.

Part of him still can't quite believe it. Never once did he think his attempts to woo her would ever work. To have her next to him, genuinely concerned about the way he was feeling. Hell, every now and then he wonders if its some dream his mind cruelly created for him.

He only has to look at the carving to remind himself that no, it did actually happen.

"And what about you? Are _you_ okay?" Louis asks her

Clementine sighs as she looks out towards the tall window opposite them, as if searching for something.

"Thinking along the same lines as you, I guess. Just... Worried about everyone. Worried about the rescue, of someone else being caught, or injured, or..." She trails off

"Just please, promise me you'll be careful out there, Lou" Clementine begs him, turning in her seat to look him in the eyes  
"I don't know what I would do if..."

Louis interrupts her worried thoughts by wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side with a soft smile.

"I know." he assures her, not even wanting to think about what could happen to Clem out there.

"I'll promise so long as you promise" He tells her with a smile, raising his hand with his pinky outstretched.

Clementine rolls her eyes at his antics, unable to stop herself from smiling back as she raised her own hand, locking their pinkies together.

"I promise, you dork" she teases him, dropping her hand back into her lap.

The weight of the situation returns, the smile quickly leaving her face. Louis internally frowns at the sight, wanting to keep her smiling.

A bright grin appears on his face as he spots the gramophone sitting nearby, an idea quickly forming in his mind.

Louis springs up from his seat, startling Clementine who watches him rush over with a bemused expression as he shuffles through the various records nearby. Triumphant, he pulls one out and places it down, cranking the gramophone back to life.

A gentle piano piece fills the room as Louis strides happily back over to her, a giddy grin still on his face.

"Um, what are you doing?" Clementine questioned him.  
"If you wanted more piano music, couldn't you just play yourself?" She asked him, gesturing towards the currently unused piano.

"Nope" he pops the 'p'.  
"Kinda need my hands for something else, darling"

Before she can question further, he gives a courteous bow, extending his hand out to her.

"Care for a dance?" he asks, keeping his voice steady, trying to ignore his rapidly beating heart.

Clementine looks to his hand, an apprehensive look on her face.

Uh-oh. Maybe he read the situation wrong. It was late after all, she probably wanted to get back to AJ and get some rest.

He begins to pull his hand back

"It's okay if you don't-"

She grabs his hand before he can fully retract it, sensing his own uncertainty.

"I would love to." She assures him.  
"But I have to warn you, I've never danced before"

"Never?!" Louis exclaims

"You have?"

Louis snorts at the question.

"Come on now, Clem. Were you even listening to my story earlier?" He teases with a smile.  
"Helloooo, rich kid here! I had to attend more than my fair share of balls and  _evening galas_." He ends his sentence in his best posh voice, making Clementine giggle.

"Alright, alright, Prince Charming. Show me what to do"

"Just place your other hand on my shoulder" he instructs her as he slightly extends their already clasped hands, gently placing his other on her waist when she lifts her hand to rest at his shoulder. 

"And follow my lead"

Memories of his childhood help guide him as they move around the room, movements synchronized to the crackly music the gramophone produced.

If he was to ever recall the dance to anyone else, he would have no other way to describe it other than what it simply was; perfect. And yes, that included all the times he would hide his winces as she stepped on his toes.

Louis kept his gaze locked onto Clementine, not wanting to forget a single detail as they moved around the room.

She stares back just as intensely, silver reflecting from within the gold of her eyes whenever they pass the window, bathing the two in the moons glow.

"Something on my face?" he asks her with a teasing grin

"Just counting your freckles" she admits to him quietly.

Louis shifts his expression, his teasing smile leaving his face as he looked down at her in adoration.

He wants to tell her all about how he feels, how much he cares for her. How much he cares for the way _she_ cares, not just about him but about everyone. About how his heart jumps in his chest every time he so much as glances at her, not knowing the words to describe to her just how gorgeous she is.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything as beautiful as you my whole life" he settles on, pleased at the smile and blush he sees appear on her face.

The song slows, signaling it was coming to an end. Louis times his next moves, waiting for the last possible note to tighten his grip on her before dipping her down.

Clementine let's out a small squeak in surprise, nails gripping into the leather of his coat at the sudden movement.

The room falls into a comfortable silence, nothing but the sound of their gentle breathing as they gaze at one another.

Louis feels his heart beat harder as Clementine's eyes flick down to his mouth, then snap back to his eyes. He instinctively begins to lean closer, feeling her warm breath fan his face. He hesitates, lips barely brushing as his heart pounds impossibly fast within his chest, seemingly attempting to break free.

"Hey, Louis! I was wondering if-"

"Holy sh-!"

"Fuck!"

They both startle harshly at the unexpected interruption, eyes widened in panic as they attempt to separate as quickly as possible.

Louis stands hastily, momentarily forgetting he still had a grip on Clementine. The jarring movement causes him to pull her up slightly harder than intended.

She collides into his front with considerable force, the two grunting at the impact. The sudden push causes him to stumble, falling backward and landing on the piano with a painful thud.

The piano releases a shrill sound as he crashes into it, the sound echoing for what feels like an eternity. He quickly leans against the piano, pretending he meant to do that all along.

Face hot with embarrassment, Clementine covers her mouth to stifle a laugh at the sight of Louis' attempts to be nonchalant.

"Sorry little dude, you were saying?" Louis asks AJ, who stood with a baffled expression at what he had just witnessed.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to play catch with the beach ball I found earlier!" AJ asked, voice alight with excitement at the prospect.

"Sorry, goofball. We should really be getting to bed now. It's late, and we need to be alert for tomorrow." Clementine replied

"Okay..." AJ muttered, disappointment clear as he turns away to go back to his room

That kid knew exactly how to guilt him

"How about this, AJ" Louis begins with a smile at the young boy who stops and turns at his words.

"How about tomorrow, after the rescue, we all have a big game of catch together? It'll be much more fun with Violet, Aasim and Omar, don't ya' think?"

The excitement of the idea is clear on AJ's face as he gives a little jump of happiness

"Okay! That sounds like fun!" he declares, quickly running out and down the hall.

Clementine turns to him with a thankful look.

"Guess I'll see you later" She tells him, stepping forward to place a chaste kiss on his cheek.

He stood there, an undoubtedly goofy smile on his face as he watched her go, feeling the beginnings of an ache develop on his tailbone.

"Damn, that really hurt my ass"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louis snuggled closer into the bed beneath him, sighing in satisfaction at the softness of the blankets that envolped him. He stretches himself out, arm brushing against the other side of the bed.

Wait a minute. Other side? He had fallen asleep on a single bunk bed, yet there was enough space here for the bed to be a double, maybe even king sized.

This wasn't his bed.

His eyes snap open at this, taking in what little he could see in the room in the darkness of the night. It was familiar, yet foreign. The place was... Clean. Posters hung on the wall that were not torn or dirty, no signs of grafitti anywhere in the room. Desks and drawers completly intact, not a speck of dust in sight.

That wasn't the weirdest thing, though. It was the tall man leaning on the wall opposite him.

"JESUS FUCKING-"

"Language" A deep and gravelly voice scolds him with a hint of amusement.

With no weapon in sight, Louis opts to back himself up in the corner, eyes trained on the mysterious figure who watched him flail in panic.

"What... Where am I?" He gets out shakily.

"Guess that means you're a light sleeper then? Good, that's good in this kind of world."

Louis stares back, too shaken to respond to the guys... Compliment?

"As for your question? Why don't you tell me."

Tell him? How the hell is he supposed to know where this place is? As far as he can tell, this random guy is the one who took him here in the first place.

Although, there was definitely something familiar to this place that he couldn't quite put a finger on. He squints around the room, trying to adjust to the limited light available.

Wait, he knew that tank... It looked exactly like the tank he used to keep Geoff in! And those posters, showing a whole range of Broadway shows, _his_ favorite Broadway shows. This was _his_ bed. _His_ posters. _His_ room.

"I'm... I'm in my room... My old room, from before." He gets out, standing from the bed and spinning around to take in the room.  
"But... But how? Am I dreaming?"

"That's for you to decide"

What does that even mean?

"If this is my dream, then...Who are you exactly?"

The man chuckles, a deep and grating sound which shouldn't sound as comforting as it does.

Louis gets a better view of him when he steps forward, the glow of a streetlight outside the window casting on his face. The man's eyes are warm and kind, matching the smile on his face. 

"The names Lee. I'm not sure if Clementine has ever mentioned me... Sort of a sore spot for her."

Lee? Clementines Lee? The man who sacrificed himself to ensure Clementines survival, that Lee?

"Holy Shi- Uh, I mean shoot."

This coaxes another laugh out of Lee, shaking his head fondly at the boy in front of him.

"I mean, I can't believe it. You're him! You're _the_ Lee!" Louis says in astonishment.

"You say that like I'm a celebrity."

"Well, no, but I mean..." Louis shakes his head in amazement, stepping closer to Lee.  
"I just... I don't know how I can even begin to thank you."

"Thank me? What for?"

"For what you did. If it wasn't for you looking after Clementine, teaching her how to survive out there, even going as far as to give your own life to keep her safe? Without you, I might never have had the privilege to meet her, and that's a life I don't want to think about living through."

Lee looks taken aback at his words, pausing to search the young boys face, finding nothing but sincerity there.

"Ah, now I see"

"See what, sir?"

Lee chuckles at the use of 'Sir' before answering.

"You're the charmer, right? The one who cracks the jokes, knows exactly how to lift everyone's spirits. You know, I used to know a guy like you... Clementine did too."

"Did? What happened?"

"Same thing as me. Gave his life to save hers."

Louis looks away from Lee, saddened by the knowledge of another person important to Clementine who she had lost.

Lee sighs, walking over to the bed and sitting down on it, gesturing for Louis to join him. Louis complies, sitting down next to the older man.

"There is actually a reason I wanted to come here. I wanted to meet you, have a bit of a chat." Lee tells him with a kind smile.

"Me? Why?"

"What, you think I wouldn't want to meet the boy who's taken up half of Clem's thoughts?" Lee teases him, smile growing wider.  
"Its a circle of thoughts at the moment of looking after AJ, you, and this suicide mission you guys are planning"

Louis' smile drops slightly at the mention, nerves kicking in when he realises that it wouldn't be long before the plan went into action.

"Sounds scary, from what I've gathered. Was actually going to go see my sweet pea in a moment, she's about as nervous as you guys are about this mission. Though, she probably won't admit it... Shes a stubborn one." Lee tells him with a chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah she is." Louis agrees, smile returning as his thoughts turn to Clementine.  
"She did actually tell me she was worried about it, though. Terrified in fact."

"Really? She told you that? Huh..."

"What do you mean?"

"Lets just say that there's not too many people who Clementine would open up to like that, to say how she's really feeling. You must be special."

Louis looks away with a blush at the praise, happiness swelling in his chest knowing that Clementine found him important enough to share her true feelings with him.

"There's something I wanted to ask you, Louis." Lees voice catches his attention, looking up to see him with a worried expression. Louis nods to show he's listening.

"This mission you guys are going on... I know it can go sideways. And I know there's no way of talking her out of it, because those friends of yours mean too much to her. All of them.  
I can't bear the thought of something happening to her. Having her join me in this world too early. She has a life to live, a happy one, and I know she could have that here, with you, and with the others."

"Sir, I-"

"I need you to promise me something, Louis. I need you to promise me you'll look after her. Not only on this mission, but everything after that. I need someone to look after her and it kills me that it can't be me. But I really think _you_ can. Promise me, son."

Louis wiped the tears away from his eyes, preparing to answer. It had been a long time since he had talked to an adult, and a much longer time since he had talked to an adult that treated him like an equal, that actually cared so much about someone other than themselves.

"I promise, sir. Though there's no need to ask me that. I'll always protect her, with everything I have."

"Everything you have, huh? You have a good heart, Louis. You must really care for her."

Louis looks straight into the older man's eyes as he nods in confirmation to his words.

"She means the world to me."

Lee beams down at him, lifting an arm to give him an affectionate slap on the back as he stands.

"That's all I wanted to hear from you." Lee tells him, looking out of the window to the rising sun on the other side, the slowly rising orange glow taking over the inky blackness of the night sky.  
"That's my cue to leave, and go say hi to my sweet pea. I was glad to meet you, Louis."

"You too, sir. I hope I get to see you again." Louis calls out after him as Lee approaches the door to his room, pausing in the doorframe at his words and looking over his shoulder at him.

"Just...not too soon, okay?"


	12. Chapter 12

The forest is unnervingly silent around them as they walk. Even the crickets had fallen silent, not producing their usual background noise. It was as if the bugs around them were aware of what they would be walking into.

Clementine looks as confident as ever, marching ahead with AJ by her side, leading them to the clearance they found the day before.

What he would give to have her confidence right now. Hell, even if she isn't feeling confident, to be able to just look as confident as she is. He can see Tenn casting worried looks at him, and he wishes he could appear confident to him, assure him everything would work out.

But he just doesn't know if it will.

"Okay, this is it up ahead" Clementine whispers as the boat comes into view, gently rocking at the rivers current.  
"We just need to find a walker by itself."

"Just one? I thought James was supposed to get a bunch of them?" Louis asked in confusion.

"He is, but we need one for another reason."

They scan the area around them for any walkers that were roaming alone. A sudden movement over by some nearby bushes catches his eye, a walker idling near the waters edge. Louis taps Clementines shoulder, pointing in the walkers direction when she looks to him.

"I think that's one-"

A gunshot rings through the air, the group being blinded by the spotlight that was being aimed in the walkers direction, the corpse collapsing to the forest floor with a spray of undead blood.

"There..." Louis finishes uselessly, lowering his arm.

Clementine wastes no time, keeping ducked within the bushes and grabbing ahold of the fallen walker, dragging its corpse back over to the waiting group.

"I can't believe we're really doing this..." Ruby mutters with a look of disgust at the walker

"Only the team blending in with the walkers has to cover themselves."

Cover ourselves with what exactly?

"Now we just need your walker friend to-"

"He's here!" AJ shouts in excitement, looking over to a figure that seemed to suddenly appear out of thin air behind them.

"Good lord!"

The figure, James, he presumed, stood as stiff as a board when they all looked to him in shock.

Willy really wasn't kidding. The guy actually did wear walker skin! Gotta admit, the mask is really unsettling. That can't smell good in there...

"Um... Hello" James greets them rather awkwardly.

"Guys, this is James" Clementine introduces them, smiling at the man in question.

"He's my friend." AJ adds with his own smile.

"He's..."

"So cool!" Willy interrupts, looking to James in absolute awe as he approached him eagerly.  
"How did you get the skin like that?"

"Oh. I um... Clementine?" James looks over to Clementine, eyes wide in panic.

"Come on, Willy. Give him some space." Clementine instructs the over enthusiastic boy, wanting to keep James calmed.

"But I-"

"Not now" AJ stops Willy from continuing, glaring to get Willy to step back.

"Right. Sorry..." Willy apologises as he steps back, face full of shame.  
"Oh, and sorry for nearly shooting you that one time. Your mask looks so real!"

He should probably scold Willy for that, but he'd be lying if he said he wouldn't shoot at someone who turned up at the gates looking like that.

"Functional and fashionable. I'll take two." Louis jokes, wanting to get on the guys good side.

"Heh. Funny." James replies in a hushed tone, eyes sliding over to where he stood.

"Is this the guy that Clem said she'd-"

"Flip? Yeah." AJ confirms Tenns question with a slight laugh.

Right! He had nearly forgot, Clem _did_ say she'd give James a, uh, 'flip'. Well, he's not one to judge. Not like he knows what James looks like under that mask of his.

"Um, Clementine? Can I speak to you alone? For a moment?" James asks, choosing to ignore the younger kids previous statements.

"Good idea" Clementine responds, following James as he walks away from the group.  
"Hold tight"

Louis watches her go, hoping James was trustworthy enough not to do anything. If Clem trusted him, he'd trust him too.

Then again, it was hard to know who you could trust these days. People can change very quickly when they have their own interests in mind. Marlon was a key example of this, and so was Minnie.

Minnie... She was going to be in there. Would she attack them if she saw them? Kill them without hesitation? He wished he could say no, that the Minnie he knew wouldnt do such a thing. But the Minnie he knew was gone...

"Hey, Tenn? Come here, buddy. I've got something to tell you." He calls to Tenn softly, leading him away to talk to him privately.

"What is it?" Tenn asks nervously, playing with his fingers as he usually did when something was bothering him.

"I didn't know how to tell you earlier, but now we're heading out on this mission... I thought it best to tell you rather than have you see yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier, when we went out scouting? We ran into Minnie. She's alive, Tenn."

Tenn gasps at this, looking to him in a state of shock upon hearing his sister was alive. Once the words sink in, his face breaks into a beaming smile.

"She's alive? She's really alive? Lilly wasn't lying, she really has her?"

Louis frowns, hating that he'll have to ruin Tenns happiness.

"Yeah, she's alive, but... She's not the same person she was, Tenn"

"What?"

"She's one of them now. She's not their prisoner, she's one of their soldiers and she seems happy to be. She even told Clementine to not fight back for everyone, that we should just give ourselves up when they come back."

"Why...why can't Minnie come back with us?"

"She didn't want to, bud. Clem even offered for her to come back, but she said no. Went back with the others."

Tenn stares down at the ground, struggling to take in his words. Louis waits patiently, hoping Tenn wouldn't take the news too harshly.

"What about Sophie? Is she one of them too?"

Louis clenches his jaw at the mention of Sophie, fighting back his own tears, not wanting to tell Tenn such devestating news.

"I'm so sorry, Tenn. Sophie, she... She's gone."

He was expecting some sort of level of shock from Tenn, maybe some tears, perhaps even some anger. Instead, Tenn stares at him silently for a moment before nodding.

"Good. That's good."

Louis blinks in suprise at Tenns nonchalant response, frowning at his words.

"How's that good?"

Realising how his own words sounded, Tenn looks away to the boat sheepishly.

"Whatever those people have done to Minnie, to make her like that, it can't be good. Instead, Sophies in a better place, where she can be happy. Surely that's better than being stuck with those people?"

Louis smiles at Tenn, reaching out to pull Tenn into a hug, the younger boy eagerly sinking into him for comfort.

"You know, I thought I was going to be the one comforting you, not the other way around." Louis tells him with a watery chuckle.

"Thank you for telling me." Tenn tells him, looking over to where the others were grouped around the walker corpse.

"Come on, we should go join the others." Louis suggests, the two of them walking over to the group.

Clementine approaches them, though James is no longer with her. Louis looks over to where they had been talking, seeing no sign of the masked man.

"He's ready to go." Clementine states when she finally gets to them, looking over and into the woods  
"The walkers are getting close. Ruby, you're in charge of the horses. Willy, Tenn, you're in charge of the supplies."

"And I'm in charge of the bomb." Louis adds on, pulling Willy's crafted explosive out of his coat.

He really hoped this wouldnt blow him up...

"Find the boiler. There'll be a door at the bottom with ash and stuff. Put it in there." Willy instructs him as Louis carefully places the bomb back into his coat.

Clementine looks to him, clearly as worried about the task as he himself felt. The others have similar expressions, looking to eachother in uncertainty at the task ahead.

"I'll see you guys on the other side." Clementine says with a slight smile, trying to instill some sort of morale into the group.

They were so close. Vi, Aasim and Omar were just there, so very close and yet so very far. Clementines plan was as good as a chance as they were ever going to get to rescuing them, but so many things could go wrong up there. _He_ could do so many things wrong up there.

He moved as close to the beach as he dared, needing some space to think before the big mission. He leans against a tree, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

One wrong move. That's all it would take. One stupid mistake, and it could cost him his life. Could cost the others lives. Could cost Clementines life...

The hell was he doing? He couldnt do this, couldn't rescue the others. It would be much safer for everyone if he had just stayed at the school. Not like he could back out now, though. Not now he was here.

Clementine must have noticed him stood alone, for she makes his way over to him, standing by his side as his panics internally at their imminent deaths.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" He asks her dejectedly, some child like innocence within him hoping she'll tell him no.

"Yeah, it really is."

So much for that...

"Other people's lives are depending on me. _You're_ depending on me to..." He trails off, not used to the responsibility of other people's lives in his hands.  
"What if someone happens to you, Clem? What if... What if I can't? I don't know, I can't carry that the rest of my life..."

"I wouldn't have asked you to come with me if I didn't believe in you."

He wishes he could believe her words, but he just couldn't. As far as he's concerned, the only reason she asked him to come is because he was the only one available.

Clementine sees the doubtful expression on his face, frowning in response to it.

"Seriously, Louis. I mean it. Believe me, until you believe yourself, okay?"

"All right... Though, I don't know if that's as easy as you think it is."

Uh oh. That glare was a bad sign.

"Okay, okay. I'll try...but what if I just get us caught? All it would take is one little screw up, and I screw up all the time!"

Now is not the time for panicking, and he knows it. It just seems like his brain isn't too keen to agree with this. He turns away from Clementine with an irritated sigh, looking to the boat that awaited. The boat that held his friends.

He had to do this.

"All right, Louis. Get it together." He tried to encourage himself, whirling back to face Clementine, face as serious as he could muster.  
"I need you to slap me, help pull me out of this. Right here."

He points to his own cheek, closing his eyes in preparation of the incoming hit. The seconds seem to tick on forever, tensing up involuntarily as the slap still doesn't come.

Instead, she kisses him.

He flinches at first, expecting the touch to his face to be one of pain. So it's quite a surprise when he feels her grab the back of his neck, pulling his face to her own. His shoulders, once risen in tension, begin to lower gently as her lips move against his. He can't stop himself from leaning into it, seeking comfort from her.

Clementine breaks away from their kiss, stepping back slightly. Judging by the amused smile on her face, he was looking as dazed as he did the last time she had kissed him.

And the time before that, too...

"I...I can't tell if I feel more focused or less" Louis says, unsure as to whether he was joking or not.

A playful giggle pulls his attention away from her smile, both of them looking to see AJ stood nearby with a confused smile.

"What are you guys doing?"

Busted

"You'll learn when you're older"

"Go... Look in another direction." Clementine tells him, unable to look AJ in the eye, face burning with the knowledge he had caught them.

He's sure it doesn't help her embarrassment when he's still grinning at her, finding it all too adorable that he had managed to make her feel shy about being caught, and by AJ no less.

"Its ready" AJ informs them, standing up from the walker Clementine had dragged over earlier on. They walk over to the others who stood around the dead creature, looks of mild disgust on their face.

He realises exactly why that is once he's close enough.

AJ had sliced the walker open, revealing the mess of guts within. The smell was nearly unbearable, the rotting stench overwhelming his senses with each step closer he took.

It doesn't seem to faze Clementine or AJ though, as Clem was already crouched by the walker and digging her hands inside like she did this every week.

To be fair, he doesn't know what she was like before she joined them at the school. She very well _could_ have been doing this every week.

"Ugh. We're not doing what I think we are?" He asks through the nausea that was rising, willing himself to inch closer despite his brain screaming at him to get the hell away.

"That depends. What do you think we're doing?" Clementine responds sarcastically, holding up a pile of walker guts.

Ew, ew, ew. This was just... Ew!

"Oh, God, we are..."

"It'll help us blend in with the walkers."

It takes every morsel of his being to push down the vomit that threatened to rise at the mere thought of coating himself in the walkers insides. That smell was not going to wash out anytime soon...

Louis resigned himself to the task at hand, knowing that this was worth it, that saving the others was worth it. They all shove their hands inside, grabbing at the organs within.

Years of rotting had resulted in the creature insides turning into, well... Slop. Any thing he could grab practically fell apart in his hands, only the intestines proving to be able to stay intact. He slathers himself in its insides, biting down hard on his tongue at the way it squelched between his fingers as he rubbed it into his clothing.

This was, without a doubt, the worst thing he had ever done in his life.

"There... I think I'm ready" He told Clementine with a slight smile, holding his own arms away from himself in repulsion.

Clementine looks up at this, scanning up and down his body before shaking her head.

"No, you're not."

He frowns at this, seconds away from opening his mouth to ask where he missed when her fingers are suddenly on his face, spreading a thick layer of walker blood across his cheeks and forehead before leaning back with a satisfied nod.

Man, he was so glad he didn't open his mouth...

"You know, walker blood is one of the hardest stains to get out. You owe me some new clothes." He jokes with a playful glare towards the two.

The joke doesn't seem to hit its mark as the two stand in unison, looking over to the boat with faces set in preparation for what lies ahead. The groans of James' walkers is almost deafening now, the first few rows of the herd appearing through the trees.

"We doing it?" AJ asks, looking up to his guardian figure

"We're doing it."

The group seperates as planned. Willy, Tenn and Ruby hang back for a bit, waiting for most of the walkers to clear until they can sneak over to their designated tasks.

Louis follows AJ and Clem who slip into the herd effortlessly, without showing an ounce of fear at being surrounded by death. He holds his breath, partly out of fear of the walkers hearing him and also because he's pretty sure he'll vomit if he inhales the scent of rotting humans too deeply.

All three move slowly, doing their best to copy the herds movements as they approach the boat. He nearly stumbles when the glaring white light of the spotlight passes over him, realising he has no idea what to do if they decide to pick him out from the herd.

The spotlight continues to move across them all, and his heart stops when it passes over Clementine, settling on her for longer than he cared for. He's about to break their cover and shove her out of the way when she darts forward, grabbing ahold of a nearby walker and holding it in front of her.

Its only a few seconds after that he hears the deafening shot of a rifle, the walkers head flying backwards at the impact of the bullet. Having served its use as a shield, Clementime throws it to the floor, struggling with its dead weight.

"Hide behind the walkers! Use them as shields!" Clementine tells them, keeping her voice lowered as to not attract the walkers around them.

Scratch out his previous statement. _This_ was the worst thing he had ever had to do in his life.

AJ complies without question, always trusting Clementines orders. Louis barely has any time to question it himself, the spotlight landing on him, the person behind preparing to fire.

He doesn't even think, blindly following Clementines actions and grabbing the closest walker to him, praying it doesn't turn around and take a chunk out of his face. The poor creature doesn't even have a chance to, the bullet finding it's way into its head moments after Louis had grabbed it.

He repeats the motions as they approach at a painfully slow speed, wondering each time that the spotlight landed on him, he wouldn't be so lucky.

"Goddamit, the horses! Somebody get that fire under control!"

He never thought he'd be so glad to see fire, especially after the last incident with Aasim. He glances over to see the hay already burning away, horses rearing away in panic before taking off to safety. This averts the spotlights attention, giving all three of them a chance to run forward, sliding into cover behind the crates on the pier.

"Supplies overboard!"

He and Clementine peer around the boxes, spotting Willy moments before he ducks out of sight amongst the boxes on the rafts, the raft already making its way down river.

"Stay sharp! We're under attack!"

That shrill voice was ingrained into his head, a voice he'll never forget. Lilly was nearby, somewhere within the boat, commanding her soldiers who were rushing about in a panic.

Louis pushes himself as close as possible to the crate behind him when someone opens fire with an automatic weapon on the other side of the crate, empty shells clinking as they roll across the pier. The gunfire stops, only for the raider in question to hop across the crate to where they're hiding, missing them by inches as he takes off towards the steadily disappearing raft.

"Okay, nows our chance." Clementine tells them, making her way to the edge of the pier and lowering herself into the murky water below.  
"We can't risk leaving cover. We'll have to crawl along the side of the dock."

He follows AJ, who is right behind Clem as always. His fingers tremble with a mixture of adrenaline, fear and the chill of the water as he grabs onto the side of the pier, pulling himself along to keep as close to the pier as possible, just as AJ and Clementine were.

He looks away from the pier to Clementine, nearly freezing in his movements at the slowly spreading puddle of red around her. For a moment, he thinks she may have been shot on the approach, but then sees the same puddle of blood around AJ, and himself.

The walker guts...The water was washing them off. They had lost their only camoflauge from the undead.

"The guts are coming off!" He whispers to Clementine in a panic, still forcing himself to move along the pier.

Clementine doesn't acknowledge him, already beginning to pull herself up at the connecting piers. She drops back nearly instantly, one of the raiders appearing at the edge to shoot at some walkers that had roamed too close to the docks. Both he and AJ are frozen in space, hoping she doesn't spot them.

"Follow me. This way" Clementine tells them, her voice muffled over the sound of gunfire around them.

Louis and AJ join her as she dives under the pier, swimming just below the surface to the other side.

A stream of bubbles escapes his mouth when he involuntary exhales in shock at the sight of the walkers walking on the river floor.

Guess walkers _do_ sink after all.

Clementine is the first to spot the ladder, breaching the surface and waiting for them to climb up. He waits for AJ to swim ahead, waiting just behind as the younger boy climbs up the ladder and onto the pier. He follows promptly, making his way up and turning back around to offer a hand to Clementine.

Except she wasn't there.

She was right behind him, he was sure of it! Now she was gone, dissappeared into thin air.

He searches the dark water desperately, looking for any shadows within the moving current that may be her, panic-stricken at the thought that one of those walkers had grabbed her.

He nearly falls back on his ass when she surfaces suddenly, spluttering and gasping for air. Regaining his composure, he throws his hand down to help her up. Clementine grabs his hand and he pulls as hard as he can, fearing she may be taken away again if he wasn't quick enough.

She lands on the pier with a harsh thud, letting go of his hand and still gasping for air. He scans her over, trying to find any signs of a bite.

"You okay?" He asks to be sure, heart pounding from the fear

"I'm fine." She replies, remaining hunched over as she recovers.

There's no time for rest though, as he sees the damn spotlight swinging over in their direction. Clementine moves as fast as he does, flattening themselves against the crates that AJ was already kneeling by.

One of the walkers had managed to haul itself up the side of the docks, arm reaching out hungrily to them, groaning at the prospect of a meal. It works well as a distraction, catching the raiders attention that manned the spotlight. Another gunshot joins the others that filled the air, the walker collapsing back into the water as the bullet finds its way into its skull.

"Stay close. Stay hidden." Clementine tells them, observing the spotlight for patterns. She picks her time, rushing over to the next set of cover before the spotlight is able to make its way back round to their direction.

Louis does as she says, making sure to remain close and move as she moves over to whatever cover they can find, his stomach knotting in nerves anytime the spotlight comes back their way.

They finally make it to the other side of the dock, sprinting over to the entrance. The doors remained how they were last time, raised up against the side of the boat.

How the hell were they going to get in? The only way in he could see was the gap at the top, but there was no way they could fit in there! They'd have to be damn small, almost child sized. Or...

Or AJ sized...

Oh... So _that's_ what she meant.

His moment of clarity is disturbed by the collective groans of the undead, turning to the despairing sight of the walkers that had made their way onto the dock.

"Walkers, incoming!" He warns Clementine in a hushed tone.

She barely blinks before removing Marlons bow from her back, smoothly preparing an arrow and firing it into the incoming herd.

He doesn't have time to admire this though, turning back to an anxious looking AJ.

"Come on, buddy. Up you go. Need you to open it from the other side as fast as you can, okay?" He tells the younger boy, grabbing a hold of his waist and hoisting the boy up the front of the gate towards the gap, trusting Clementine completly to keep the walkers from getting too near.

AJ scrambles in, and he can hear him land on the other side. Thankfully, it only takes a matter of seconds for the door to open, stepping back as it falls downwards and lands on the wooden pier below.

He looks over his shoulder, seeing Clementine fire one last arrow into a walker that had gotten too close. She must have heard the door open, as she turns away and runs to the boat, Louis hanging back slightly to make sure she got on safely before joining them.

Now the real work begins...


	13. Chapter 13

_Close, Close, Close, Close, Close, Close, Close!_

He slams the buttons on the control panel next to the door as much as physically possible, grabbing the supports and pulling the door closed faster when the damn thing closes at a snails pace.

They crouch down by the nearby hay bales, glancing up worriedly at the stairs next to them at the sound of pounding footsteps up ahead. The raiders were rushing around on the floor above, struggling to get everything under control. Looked like their plan was working...

"We're getting close." AJ whispers once the footsteps had passed.

"After we find the boiler and place the bomb, we'll get our friends out." Clementine tells them, turning to face Louis at the mention of the bomb.  
"Minnie said they didn't hurt anyone. We'll have to hope she was telling the truth. Look out for guards and stay quiet, okay?"

He takes the bomb carefully out of his jacket, holding it in his hands and nodding to Clementine, ready to move.

"Good. I'll scout ahead and signal when it's clear"  
He and AJ nod once again, splitting away and into their own cover, keeping an eye on Clementine as she stands from their cover and takes the lead, moving down the entrance hallway, watching for any raiders.

A raider suddenly appears from down another hallway, stopping to fire at walkers  on the other side. Clementine jumps to the side, hidden behind somemore haybales, practically invisible amongst the shadows of the boat.

The raider is quick to move on after a few shots, taking off down to the other side of the boat. Clementine waits for a few seconds before waving her hand to signal them. He moves up with AJ, keeping a tight hold on the bomb in his hands as Clementine makes her way down the walkway the raider had gone, treading carefully through a crimson metal door.

Louis remains just behind her, shuffling slightly out of the way to make room for AJ who shuts the door quietly behind them, unable to stop the squeaking of its rusted hinges.

Clementine continues to walk ahead, remaining crouched along the boxes stored within the room, heading towards the next door that hopefully led towards the boiler.

Yet another raider appears at the doorway, back to them as he fires in the other direction. Clementine isn't fast enough to hide before he turns to them though, clearly having caught a glimpse as she ducked behind the crates.

"Hey, who's that?"

Shit. No way of getting out of this one. They were going to have to fight.

He watches in dread as the raider steps slowly forward, gun raised to his shoulder as he makes his way towards where Clementine is hiding.

Clementine moves fluidly, taking the raider by surprise as she shoves her shoulder into him, tackling him into the wall opposite. The raider grunts in pain and surprise, gun flying out of his hands and to the floor.

Clementine doesn't give him to recover, rushing over and grabbing the discarded rifle. Just as the raider pulls out his knife, she swings the butt of the rifle down on his head with considerable force. The hit forces the raider back, knocking him out and sliding down the wall to the floor.

"Shit" Louis states, staring at the crumpled raider with wide eyes, in awe of what he had just witnessed.

Clementine doesn't respond to this, looking over to a large metal cylinder hidden within the raiders supplies. Was that what they were looking for?

"That's where we need to plant the bomb." Clementine tells him, looking to the bomb in his hand.

"There's too much stuff in the way" AJ notes, seeing no way for them to make their way through to the boiler.

"Maybe there's another way in."

Clementine is already turning away from them, walking over to where the raider she had taken out had come through.

They seem to be having the worst luck, for another raider stops them from moving forward, forcing them into hiding once again. Fortunately, just as the first raider did, she moves on rather quickly after firing a few rounds into the surrounding walkers.

They move into the room they were once in, on the opposite side of the boiler. Instead of the raiders running into then this time, they run into one already in the room. The raider has the same rifle as the others, so focused on firing over the edge of the boat that he hadn't spotted them.

Clementine takes advantage of this, taking Marlons bow from her back in small movements to avoid attracting attention, preparing an arrow.

Wait, were they killing them? She had knocked out the last one, killing this raider seemed unnecessary. Perhaps it would be too difficult to sneak up on this one.

Clementine answers his thoughts by aiming the bow down at the raiders leg, releasing the arrow. It slides through the back of the man's thigh with ease, blood spilling from the wound as the raider falls back, screaming in pain. Clementine is quick to quieten him, charging forwards and swinging Marlons bow into his head.

Well, that worked too.

They move over to the boiler that was accessible from this side, pulling open the door at the bottom that Willy had mentioned. He hands over the bomb, thankful to no longer be holding what is quite literally be a ticking time bomb. She places it among the ash, stepping away from the boiler and looking to the explosive with admiration.

"There you go, Mitch's masterpiece"

"We all love and support you" He adds on jokingly as she closes the door to the boiler.

The moment of relief doesn't last long, knowing they now have to find everyone and get them out before they start up the boat.

"Once they start up this boat, we won't have much time before it explodes." Clementine states her thoughts out loud, looking over to them in concern.

"How long?" AJ asks worriedly.

"Not sure. An hour? Thirty minutes?"

"I guess we better move" He responds, moving out of Clementines way as she makes her way past him towards the stairs.

He very nearly walks into her on the steps when she suddenly ducks down, moving back down upon seeing the raiders that ran around on the floor above. They pause, making sure it's completly clear before climbing up.

"Minerva, focus!"

"Yes ma'am"

His heart jumps into his throat hearing Minnie's voice, all three of them ducking out of sight of Minnie and the raider that had very nearly captures him.

Of course, they just had to run into Minnie. Of course _she_ would be the one that was guarding the cells. There was no chance to sneak around her, and even if there was, there might not be enough time before the bomb explodes.

Could he hurt Minnie if it came to it? Risk killing her to save the others? He wasn't too sure.

"I... I have a little brother; Short, scarred face. He's... He's not out there, is he?"

"Look, we've discussed this. Delta is your family now. There ain't no room for anyone else."

Minnie's face falls at this, though she quickly returns it to a neutral state.

"Yes ma'am"

God, she really was gone, wasn't she?

"There's no way we can get in there without her seeing us" Louis whispers over to Clementine who turns to face him as the raider walks away to her post.

She turns back to look at Minnie, a plan quickly forming in her head. He holds back his gasp when she stands out of cover, drawing an arrow and aiming right at Minnie.

Minnie hears the sound of the string bring drawn back, startling as she turns to the sound and raises her own crossbow. The panic in her eyes quickly turns to rage when she spots the intruder.

Louis rushes out of his own cover in the hopes of diverting Minnie's rage from Clementine, him and AJ standing next to Clementine with Chairles drawn.

Just in case...

"Get. Out" Minnie snarls, cold blue eyes aiming down the sights at Clementine.

"Not without our people" Clementine refuses, keeping her own bow aimed right back at Minnie.

"I swear, if you got Tenn caught up in this...Just...Just tell me he's alright. Give me that..."

"He told me to tell you, he forgives you"

Hearing Tenns forgiveness physically shakes Minnie, crossbow trembling in her hands as her eyes dart between the three of them with their weapons in hand. Her gaze settles back on Clementine, sighing in irritation and lowering the crossbow back down.

"Shit... I'll help you get everyone out. And then you take my brother and _run_."

Clementine glanced over to Louis, as suprised at Minnie admiring defeat as he was, tucking Chairles back away in his coat as Clementine lowered Marlons bow.

They rush over to the cell, peering inside to find the others.

"Clementine?"

"Holy fuck!"

They turn at Omar and Aasims voice, flooded with relief when the two appear at the cell door to the right.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" Clementine asks the two

"He doesn't look hurt." AJ notes, glancing down at Omars wrapped up leg, gunshot wound apparently taken care of.

"Yeah, I'm alright. We're alright. Get Violet first. She needs to know you're here."

No... No, what had they done to her? If they had touched one hair on Violets head...

"We don't have a lot of time before Dorian comes back." Minnie interrupts their reunion, glancing worriedly at where the raider had left, putting a name to the face that had nearly put him in these cells.

Minnie stands from the cell she had opened, presumably Violets as Omar and Aasim were in the other. He goes to check on Violet with Clementine, not wanting to leave her alone when Minnie stops him.

"Louis, give me a hand" She tells him, struggling to pull up the lock to Aasims and Omars cell.

"Yeah, sure" He reluctantly agrees, Minnie stepping back to let him open the door.

He has a hand on the lock, ready to pull up when he hears a thud from Violets cell, the sound of a body collapsing to the ground. AJ looks to him in fear, the two of them rushing into the cell to see Clementine on the floor next to Violet with her back turned, Minnie towering over her.

"What the fuck, Minnie?!" He shouts, hurt by her betrayal. He refuses to take his eyes off Clementine, even when Minnie turns the crossbow on him and AJ, desperately trying to see if she was still breathing.

"Get in the cell, now!"

"Are you fucking serious?!" He shouts back, hurt turning to fury when she moves the crossbow over to aim at AJ next to him.

"I will kill him, Louis. Don't test me"

"Minnie, you-"

"Now!"

He has no choice but to obey, knowing he could never forgive himself if he got AJ killed.

She forces them back with the front of the crossbow, watching them carefully as she grabs Chairles from him, then removing AJ's knife from him. She walks backwards, eyes coldly trained on them as she slams the door shut. He grabs onto the bars of the cell, eyes pleading with Minnie as she stands up from locking the door.

"Please, Minnie. Why are you doing this. Its us! It's _me_! We're your family!"

His heart shatters at the utter blankness on her face, no reaction to his pleas. Instead she walks over to Violet and Clementines cell, leaving with Clems signature knife and Marlons bow, locking the door and moving back to her original post to guard them.

Fuck... This was... Fuck! Clementine was in another cell, and he had no idea if she was okay, how badly Minnie had hurt her. He burys his hands into his own dreads, scrunching them in a panic at the thought of Clementine being taken away from them.

"What are we going to do?" AJ asks from next to him.

He looks over to the frightened boy, lowering his arms dejectedly when he has no answers for him.

"We'll figure something out. Theres gotta be some way out of here..." He trails off, looking around the room for anything to use.

"Clem, are you alright?"

His head snaps up at Aasims words, nearly crying out in relief when she appears at the door, seemingly unharmed.

"I'm fine. Where's AJ?" She asks in concern.

"Over here!" AJ replies in delight at the sight of Clementine.

"Thank God" She mutters in relief

"Is Vi alright?" Louis asks, stepping next to AJ.

"She's saying she won't help us"

"What the shit? Are you serious?" He asks in disbelief, shaking his head.

It was what he had feared most. That Minnie would manipulate Violet, just as they had done to her. He just hoped she wasnt too far gone.

The boat remained silent under his feet, finding comfort in the fact they had yet to start up the boiler and weren't moments away from being blown into a million pieces.

"We're not moving yet, so at least we've got some time. I guess.." He murmers, raising his eyes back up to Clementine. If there was anyone that could get them out of this mess, it was Clem.

Her eyes soften at his glum look, studying him in concern for a moment.

"Louis, are you alright?" She asked, unsure what Minnie may have done during the time she was unconscious.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to figure out the best way to survive an explosion." He says with a fake smile, saddened by his own joke.

Clementine nods sadly, returning to her own search of the cell for a weakness. She must find something for she stands up suddenly, moving closer to the cell door.

"AJ, you still have your knife?"

He had seen Minnie remove AJ's knife, yet AJ still searches in his pockets, removing a small handmade shiv she must have missed when searching them.

"Yeah, they didn't find it. Only the big one."

"Good, slide it over."

AJ crouches down, pushing the knife under the door and over to Clems cell. He breathes a sigh of relief when it makes it all the way, scratching against the metal floor as it slides across.

Clementine kneels to grab the knife, chipping away at the metal panel on the bottom of the door. He returns to searching the floor, hoping he might find something to chip away at his and AJ's cell door.

"Hey!"

His head whips back to the door, seeing the raider, Dorian, had returned at the sound of the door being hit.

"Whatever you're doing... Don't. I promise you. It ain't worth it."

"She awake?"

Ah, shit.

"Yes ma'am"

"Good. I'll take it from here."

He backs away from the door in fear when Lilly appears just outside the cell, Minnie standing viligantly beside her leader. Their backs are turned away from him, focused solely on Clementine.

"Wheres Abel?"

"He's dead. We killed him, put a knife in the side of his head"

This gets Lilly to turn to them, shock and despair swiftly changing to rage at AJ's confession.

"Fuck, you little monster. Dammit!" Lilly spits at the younger boy, slamming her hand against the bars to the door.

"We showed him mercy. He was terrified of turning, so we stopped him from having to. We gave him what he wanted." Clementine speaks up, trying to divert Lillys rage from AJ.

Lilly laughs in disbelief, turning back to Clementine.

"I'm sure you did"

His stomach drops at the sound of a gun being cocked, pushing himself against the bars of his cell in an attempt to see what Lilly was doing.

"Back up"

He can only see Clementines fearful face as she complies to the order, stepping away from the door. Something makes her stop, eyes darting to the floor then back to Lilly.

"Minerva. Open the door"

"Yes, ma'am"

Minnie steps forward, one hand still on her crossbow as she pushes the cell door open before raising her crossbow back up she steps back behind Lilly, ensuring Clem doesn't have a chance to attack.

"Normally, the trouble you caused, I'd just shoot you and toss you overboard."

He can only just make out the tip of Lillys pistol from where he stands, praying her finger was no where near the trigger.

"But I'm genuinely impressed."

Uh, hold up.

"First, you organise these idiot kids into a fighting force, _and_ kill two of my most experienced soldiers. _Then_ you sneak on board my ship under the cover of a herd?"

She better not be saying what he thinks shes saying.

"I bring a prize like you back to the Delta? It might just make this whole cluster fuck of a mission worth it"

No. Fuck no! No way he was going to let her take Clementine away from them, away from him.

"Someone like you? So young, with so much potential? You're far too valuable to kill..."

"Look, if I'm the one you want, let the others go." Clementine begs for the others life, Louis touched she would be willing to do such a thing for them

"This isn't a negotiation. This is me telling you how things are going to be."

Clementine has no response to this, instead choosing to glare up at Lilly at her words.

"You know my father, Larry, was a military man, and when I was a kid, he had all kinds of rules.  
The one thing that bugged him most was waste. If I left a light on in a room? He'd flip.  
No matter how many times he ranted about the cost of electricity, I could never remember to hit that switch."

"So?"

"So one day, he let the power get cut. He liked illustrations, to show that actions had consequences. No more TV, no more hair dryer, no more ice-cream sandwiches... Just a miserable family sitting in the dark."

"Well, I guess asshole runs in the family. Is that the consequence? That you're a asshole?"

Louis widens his eyes at Clems snark, not expecting her to speak to Lilly like that.

"The consequence is, I never left the lights on again. My father had his thoughts, but he taught me the effectiveness of teaching by example"

"Oh, is that what this is? A lesson?" Clementine responds sarcastically, uncrossing her arms and stepping towards Lilly.

Minnie is quick to respond to the movement, moving into a defensive stance and training the crossbow at Clementine. Lilly raises her hand to stop Minnie from firing, Minnie reluctantly lowering the crossbow at her order.

Lilly must signal something, as Clementine moves over slightly, nearly out of his line of sight, something that does nothing to ease his pounding heart.

"I want to tell you a story. Let's call it... The parable of the twins."

He looks over to Minnie the same time Clementine does, connecting Lillys words together.

"Two girls were taken from their home, and brought to a new place to live. They had to leave their friends and family behind, and that was hard at first... They shed a lot of tears...  
But the new place was a good place. The people there grew corn and raised pigs, and the twins ate well for the first time in years.  
They had hot showers, clean clothes. Beds. They were given guns and trained how to use them. The people there were kind to these girls. All that was asked in return was they help defend the group."

"I wonder if the twins would tell it that way?" Clementine asks sarcastically, eyes slipping back and forth from Minnie to Lilly.

"One of them would. One of the girls saw this was a place worth waiting for, and her tears dried.  
But the other twin? She could never forget her old home. She rejected every gift, stirred up trouble every chance she got. She even convinced her sister to steal a raft and try to escape down the river. Of course, they didn't get far. What happened then, Minerva?"

What was Lilly trying to suggest? Minnie had already told them of Sophies fate, how she had died for them. Now she's trying to tell them she was fighting back, had died some other way?

"I killed her." 

What? _What_! 

"Shit, Minnie! How could you?!" Aasims voice comes from the cell to his left

"What the fuck?!" Louis exclaims in disbelief, grabbing onto the bars of his cell

"Is that true?" He hears Violets broken voice from within Clementines cell

"Your own sister? Why would you do that?" Lilly continues

"She was twisting my head with her lies."

"And?"

"I made a mistake. I needed to show my loyalty to the place I call home." Minnie responds diligently, words clearly drilled into her head and not her own.

"Like it or not, you're one of my people now, Clem. Question is, which twin are you going to be? The loyal one? Or the dead one?"

No.... No, no, no! How... How could she do such a thing? Minnie and Sophie were nearly unseperable, even closer than she was to Violet, to any of them. What the fuck had they done to her?! What had they turned her into?!

"You... You brainwashed her! You people are fucking sick!" He shouts in rage, slamming his fist into the cell door

"Y'all better back away from the door!" Dorian commands as she slides back into view, glaring menacingly down at him.

Usually such a thing would quieten him into submission, but instead he feels his face twist into a snarl at the sight of her, the anger clouding every one of his thoughts. The rage he felt back when he was talking to Abel returns, wanting to make them all suffer.

"Louis, calm down! Just do what they say." Clementine begs him, eyes wide in alarm at his outburst.

He knows he should listen to her, that she has some sort of plan to get them out of this. His emotions are boiling over though, unable to even think about obeying these bastards commands.

"Fuck no! Look what they did to Minnie! I'd rather die than become one of them!"

He must have said the wrong thing, for Clementine face switches to horror at Lillys reaction to his words.

"Pull the mouthy one out of the cell."

Perhaps that wasn't the best choice of words...

His rage slips away when Dorian opens the door to his cell, swinging it open and appearing pleased at the fear on his face as he backs away from her.

"We'll have to teach them a lesson. They clearly didn't get the moral of the story."

He can see his own terrified expression in the reflection of the cleaver she pulls from her pocket, recognising Violets signature weapon.

"Stop!"

AJ moves in front of him, doing his best to seen intimidating as the young boy shields Louis from harm. His heart swells at the poor boys attempts, hands trembling knowing it won't stop what's coming.

"Don't hurt Louis. Or I'll hurt you."

Dorian doesn't seem too impressed at the threat, glancing down at the boy with a look of indifference.

"Ey yo. You better cool it or you're gonna get yourself hurt."

She pushes past AJ, grabbing onto the collar of his shirt and yanking him towards her.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" He rambles in a panic as she throws him down, face colliding with the harsh cold metal of the ground. He can feel her looming over him, spotting the metal of the blade just above in the corner of his vision, squirming as she pins his arm down to the floor.

"Easy! Stay still! Don't make this any harder than it has to."

What was she going to do? Surely they weren't about to cut off his whole hand! How would he be effective in their war without his hand! He feels sick to his stomach at the thought of them finding him so disposable.

"No, no, no, please! Clem!" He begs, knowing no one else to turn to for help.

Clementines eyes are trained on him in fear, looking the most panicked he had ever seen her. This only increases his own anxiety, seeing her lose her compusure, aware that she had no plan to help. Her eyes dart from him to something behind him in the cell, face twisted in confliction.

"AJ! No!" She shouts to AJ behind him. It seemed that AJ was his last line of defence, and now without him...

"No, no, no! Please!" He begs one last time, desperation clear in his voice, praying for them to show some compassion.

It was stupid to think they would.

He doesn't feel it at first. Just the sound of a blade slicing through the air, then through flesh, then the metallic clang as it meets the floor. Clementine has her hands to her face, covering her horrified expression at the sight. It's only when he sees his finger on the floor, blood spurting from the stump that remained that the shock clears and the pain hits.

It's _blinding_ , agonising, as if his hand had been set on fire. His vision whites out, on the verge of passing out from the pain, the very same pain pulling him right back.  
He's unable to hold back his anguished scream, cradling his injured hand to his chest and whimpering as the fresh wound brushes against the fabric of his shirt, feeling his own blood soak right through.

He can barely hear AJ's shout of rage through the ringing in his ears, the distraught boy stomping his feet in fury at what had happened to his close friend.

Dorian once again grabs him, this time by the back collar of his coat, dragging him back inside the cell before slamming it closed once again. He stands, legs shaking from the pain and making his way over to the corner of the cell, practically collapsing as he sits.

He stares down at the stump that was once his little finger, still able to feel the finger that was no longer there. He instinctively tries to wiggle his pinkie, whimpering in pain as the mangled mess that remains shifts at his command. The wound had congealed, stopping most of the bleeding, although some small streams continued to escape and drip down on the floor.

' _Promise me you'll be careful_ '

Clementines words echo in his head, the fear on her face and in her voice as she expressed her worries the night before. She was wrong, wrong to believe in him. Wrong to believe he wouldn't fuck it all up.

He had promised her. Pinky promised her, even. And he had just thrown it away over one hot headed moment where he let his emotions control him.

He could almost laugh at the irony of it all. He had never believed his dad when he told him the seriousness of pinky promises, thinking his dad was just trying to joke as he would and scare him by telling him that he'd lose his pinky if he broke his promise.

Life sure was ironic.

And a bitch...

"We'll kill you!"

Lilly turns to AJ at his words, raising an eyebrow at the threat.

"You think you can kill me?"

"We'll throw you into the river. Or we'll put a knife right to the side of your head!"

"Big talk for a little guy"

He can see AJ trembling in anger out of the corner of his eye, glaring up at Lilly on the other side of the door.

"I know I can do it. I killed Marlon. He wasn't a monster, but you are!"

AJ pauses in his rant, stepping closer to Lilly with a death glare that no five year old should have to do, wrapping his hands together to mimic a fake gun and pointing right at Lillys head.

"Bang"

No one dares speak a word after this, only able to hear the boak creaking beneath him and the rush of blood in his ears as his heart continues to pound relentlessly.

"So you're the one who killed Marlon? Huh...I bet you'd make a great soldier..."

"AJ, don't listen to her, okay? She's a monster." Clementine instructs AJ from her own cell

"Clem seems to care a lot about you? Let's go have a nice little chat, just you and me."

He looks over just as Lilly grabs AJ by the arm dragging him out of the cell and out of sight. He finally pulls himself up at this, moving towards the door, only for it to be shut in his face by none other than Minnie.

"Lilly, don't!" Clem calls out after her, helplessly watching as AJ gets pulled away from her.

"Clementine!"

"AJ!"

Lilly ignores their desperate calls for eachother, instead turning to Dorian for her next command

"I want to be far away from here, fast."

"I'll start up the boiler."

Clementines face turns to absolute panic, knowing now they were on a timer and that the mission became a lot harder now they had to get AJ out of Lillys grasp.

The panic changes to pure fury when Minnie stands in front of the cell.

"Don't. Don't you dare look at me like that. This is the only way we survive." Minnie tells her, sounding as if she really believed what she was saying 

Survive? Survive!? Sophie was dead! Marlon was dead! Brodie was dead! All because of these assholes! Her leader had ordered his fucking finger to be cut off, how could she still say that!

"Are you serious right now?! After everything that she's done, you're just going to help her?!"

Minnie turns at his shouts, the blank look on her face only infuriating him further.

"Fuck! You!"

This _still_ doesn't get her to react, simply staring at him with little to no expression.

"Minerva!"

This does _something_ , the use of her full name causing her to flinch before she copies his same look of rage.

"Fuck off!" She shouts back at him.

"What happened to you? You KILLED Sophie! What the fuck? You just decided 'Hey, I'll work for these people, they seem friendly enough'."

A flash of movement from Clementines cell stops his rant, Minnie turning at the sudden crashing sound from within the cell.

Hes pretty sure his mind if playing tricks on him, perhaps due to the loss of blood, for he knows damn well he shouldn't be seeing Clementine pinning Violet against the wall, arm across her throat as Violet chokes for air.

"The fuck are you doing? Stop!" Minnie commands, rushing forward to open the door.

Clementines moves forward in a blur, ramming into the now opened door. He watches helpless from within the cell as Minnie flies backwards, crossbow knocked out of her hands as she falls to the ground.

Clementine rushes over to his gate, bending down and pulling the bar up to allow him to escape. She's so preoccupied with this that she doesn't notice Minnie charging at her, knife in hand with the intent to kill.

"Clem, behind you!" He just barely manages to get out.

There isn't enough time for her to properly react, turning just as Minnie crashes into her. The two are equally matched, though Minnie's height seems to be giving her a slight advantage as they struggle for the knife.

"You're the fucking problem here!" Minnie shouts as she kicks Clems leg from beneath her, forcing her to the ground. Time nearly stops when the top of the blade pierces Clems chest, fully aware that Minnie was going to win this fight if he didn't do something.

He forces the door open, grabbing the crossbow Minnie had dropped and aiming down the sights at someone who had once been his closest friend.

"Minerva, stop! I'm warning you" His voice trembles, not wanting to have to pull the trigger.

Was this something he could do? Not only take a life, but the life of someone who was once one of his closest friends? The girl who sang with the prettiest voice, who would sit with him and compose when no one else would? Could he do it for Clementine?

It wasn't even a question at this point.

Minnie was gone.

He had to save Clementine.

"What the hell is going on down here?"

The touch to his shoulder startles him, spinning around to face the threat, finger already on the trigger.

"Oh, fu-"

He had squeezed too hard in his panic, releasing the arrow before he had planned. There's only a split second for him to take in Dorians angered expression before he's bathed in her blood, arrow piercing right through her mouth and out the back of her head.

"No, no, no, no." He rambles in shock, kicking his legs to scoot backwards and away from her fallen corpse.  
"Wait, that's not what I..."

"Dorian, no!" Minnie screams in horror at her fallen friend, taking her attention off of Clementine who throws a punch in her direction. The force and surprise of it all knocks Minnie to the floor, Clementine quickly flipping herself off her back to face Minnie who was still trying to get up and fight back. Clementine doesn't give her a chance, throwing another punch which knocks Minnie out.

Dorians blood seems to grow exponentially, slowly creeping towards him as the puddle continues to expand from the arrow that protruded from her head. He wants nothing more than to look away, yet can't take his eyes off her.

Here was a person who had caused him considerable pain. Who showed no remorse when she tried to shoot him, punched him, tried to kidnap him. The person who has taken his friends, his _family_ from him, who had twisted Minnie into one of their own, who had chopped his finger off without a care.

But she was a person. A human life, an ever dwindling percentage in this world. And he had taken that away, without even meaning to.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

His grief and disgust with himself nearly overrides the relief he feels when Violet finally emerges from her cell, mouth agape in shock at the scene in front of her. Clementine stands guilty from Minnie, pocketing her knife that Minnie had taken, and nearly taken her life with.

Violet runs to the Minnie side, kneeling down next to her and grabbing her shoulders, lifting her up slightly in an attempt to cradle her.

"Violet, we have to go"

"No!" Violet screams, voice full of anguish yet face showing nothing but despise.

"We planted a bomb on the boat!" Clementine tells her, pleading with her to understand the danger.

"Fuck you there's a bomb, Mitch is dead! Just go... Just _fucking_ go"

"We have to leave, now!" Aasim states before Clementine can respond to Violets outburst, helping out Omar who was struggling slightly with his leg.

Clementine shakes her head at this, looking to the deck above.

"You go. I have to find AJ"

AJ... He had nearly forgotten in this whole... Mess. Lilly still had him. He couldn't just let Clem go alone, couldn't live with himself if something happened to AJ.

"I... I can." His voice doesn't comply, cracking as his stumbles slightly towards Clementine.

"I'll be fine"

Its a dismissal, and he knows it. He couldn't blame her, he was useless right now with his trembling limbs and severed finger. He would probably do more harm than good.

"Better see you on land" Aasim tells her sternly, turning with Omar and gesturing for Louis to follow.

"Vi, come on" He tries weakly, unable to just leave her.

"Fuck you" She mutters miserably, still holding Minnie.

"Vi, please. Clem wasn't lying, there really is a bomb-"

"Don't you fucking say her name" She hisses at him, flinching at the use of Clementines name.

"Louis, we have to go" Aasim whispers behind him, tugging on his coat

"I can't just leave her... "

"She'll come round in a minute, just give her some space to realise the situation."

"We might not have a minute!"

"Exactly! There's no use us all dying on this damn boat!"

He looks down at Violet with sadness, the blonde refusing to look back, instead choosing to keep her gaze focused on Minnie.

He turns away, following Aasim and Omar as they make their way out of the boat. He takes the lead once they get down the stairs, knowing the way out. They move quickly, thankful that the remaining raiders were up deck with Lilly. While it meant they could move fast, it also made rescuing AJ a hell of a lot harder for Clementine.

 _'I broke my promise to you, Clem.'_ He thinks to himself as they shift past the raiders Clementine had knocked out.  
' _Please don't break yours. Be careful up there.'_

You'd think the sight of the forest would bring him comfort, knowing they had escaped the confines of the boat. Hard to feel that though when what appears to be hundreds of walkers are ambling along the beach, in the water and at the tree line.

"Shit." He mutters quietly, taking in the vast quantity.

"We just have to move quietly and slowly, don't give them a reason to spot you" Aasim says in a whisper, already lowering himself into a crouch.

He and Omar copy his movements, the chef wincing at the strain it puts on his injured leg. They move silently and with great care past the docks and into the clearing, hiding behind some large rocks among the beach.

"Okay, now what?" Louis asks, barely hearing his own voice over the groans of the undead around them.

"I... I don't know. Shit, there's just so many. How the hell did you guys get through in the first place?"

"We covered ourselves in walker guts. Apparently they can't smell you through it, see you as one of their own. Don't know how we can take one down without the others noticing..." He responds, desperately trying to think of a way of escape.

"We're gonna need a distraction." Aasim says, looking around the beach for something to use.  
"Something big, something like-"

The timing is damn near impeccable.

He falls back in horror as the boat explodes, the whole ship covered in a ball of fire at the erupting explosion. The water laps ferociously at the shore as the boat is rocked by the force of the blast, debris flying all around them, metal landing in the sand and dirt with resounding thuds.

He searches the shoreline desperately, wanting nothing more than to see Clem, AJ and Vi in the distance, having made their way off the boat, safe and sound.

They weren't though. They were still on the boat, and he knew it.

They were gone.


	14. Chapter 14

"CLEMENTINE!"

Someone is screaming her name, their voice full of anguish, cracking partway through and sounding as if they were on the brink of tears.

It's only when he sees Aasims and Omaes pitiful yet alarmed looks, a few walkers making their way over at the sound when he realises it was him.

The horrendous screeching of the boats twisted metal had mostly overpowered his scream, though a few walkers had taken notice, lumbering over in their direction.

Shit. Minnie had taken Chairles from him, and presumably had taken any weapons Aasim and Omar may have had before they were taken away.

Time to do what he does best...

Improvise.

He grabs the only thing nearby that's usuable; a chunk of rock that laid next to the boulders they were hiding behind. He turns around just as he feels the walkers rotting hands brush against his back, swinging the rock into the walkers jaw as hard as he can. It does the trick, the walker collapsing to the side from the impact. He gives it one last hit, ensuring it stays down.

"Louis!"

Aasim and Omar are huddled in fear, having no defence against the oncoming dead. He runs to their aid, yelling with the effort as he swings the rock in his hands at the walkers head. It's rotted head caves in at the impact, any resemblance to a human face gone with a single hit.

It becomes autonomous, taking out any walkers that dared venture too close, flinching slightly at every splash of blood that lands on his face from the walkers he hit.

They never seem to end. Just an endless horde scattered around them, no way of taking them all on and no way of sneaking through.

"Is that Clem? And AJ!"

Aasim has his arm outstretched, pointing towards the wreck that was once a boat. He nearly sobs in relief when he realises Aasim is right, it was them. They were alive!

The boat rumbles from within the water, exploding once again. He lifts an arm to shield his eyes from the sudden flash of light, rapidly blinking to clear his vision. He can just about make out the sight of Clementine and AJ sprawled across the floor, thrown from the force of the explosion.

His brow knits in confusion when he sees someone approach to help her up, not able to recognise the figure. Was it James? He did move odd after all, kind of like a walker.

Or...or perhaps the figure was a walker...

He rushes forward when Clementine startles, backing up from the walker and searching for a weapon. Just as the creature gets too close for comfort to her he swings the rock down hard on the top of its head, the walkers knees buckling and collapsing to the floor.

His lungs are burning from the exertion and the smoke in the air, dropping the rock in his hands to the floor in relief at the sight of them unharmed.

"Louis!" AJ exclaims in delight, scrambling to his feet.  
"You made it!"

"Yeah.... Yeah I did. I'm still kickin'." He gets out shakily, waiting for the adrenaline to wear off as he places his hands on his hips.

Clementine collides into his front, burying her head into chest and squeezing him as tight as she can. He brings his own arms up to rest against her back, eagerly returning the comfort.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now" She tells him, nearly laughing with relief at the sight of him. 

Oh, she couldn't even begin to understand how untrue that was.

"I think I have some kind of idea" He responds, squinting in happiness as he returns her kind smile. 

You know, if he squinted hard enough, maybe he could pretend the explosions and burning flames around them were fireworks and not the resulting chaos of their plan.

An aggrevated yell pulls him out of his daydream, looking over to the source of the sound.

"Get the fuck off of me!"

Holy shit, it was Violet! She was alive too!

"Violet!" AJ yells in a panic

She had her back turned towards them, scooting up the rocks by the shoreline, kicking frantically at the crawling walkers that was grabbing for her leg.

Walkers have already made their way over at the sound and Clementine looks between them and Violet in a panic. He picks the rock back up from where he dropped it, nodding to Clementine to help Violet before bringing the rock down harshly at the closest walkers skull.

Two walkers were side by side as they approached him, choosing to smash the walkers head on the left as he brought up his leg to roughly kick the other in the stomach, sending it tumbling down into the sand and giving him some much needed space.

"Louis, get over here she's hurt!" Clementine yells from somewhere behind him.

Shit, how had Violet been hurt? She didn't look injured from what he could see. Was she... Was she bit?

He's ready to run over when a walker takes him by surprise, rotting hand grasping onto his arm and pulling him feebly towards its chattering jaw. Unable to use the rock, he kicks the walker as he did before, the walker releasing his arm as its sent crashing back down into the ground. He slams the rock down into his head as it attempts to get back up, head exploding from the force of his hit.

"Louis!"

His heart is beating furiously, the fear in Clementines tone pushing his legs harder to get over to her. Clem glances worriedly at him when she sees him approach, turning her concern back to Violet who remained crouched on the ground.

His legs come to a crashing halt when he catches sight of her. The skin around her eyes was blistered and peeling, the harsh redness of the burns on her face making the hazy white of her eyes stand out.

"Alright, Vi. We've got you." He tries to soothe her panicked expression, holding out a hand to help her stand.

His reassuring smile drops when Violet is unable to find his hand, her own hand reaching around the air in front of her. He pushes his hand forward to grab hers, pulling her up to stand.

This wasn't good. Had the bomb blinded her completly? How the hell were they going to get her back to the school?

"Oh shit. Can... Can you see?" Clementine asks, reaching out a hand only to pull it back

Violets eyes look to the floor sadly, looking back up and searching in Louis' direction.

"I don't, just... Just don't let go of me, okay?" She pleads quietly, ashamed she is unable to walk by herself.

Never, Vi. Never.

"Shit, we can't stay here" He whispers to Clementine when he spots some of the surviving raiders, noticing that even more walkers had joined the herd on the beach, spreading out from within the forest.

Violets grip on his hand is tight as he leads her towards where Aasim and Omar are hiding, crouched behind the raiders crates and peering around in search of an escape. Aasim turns from his spot when he spots them, face breaking in relief.

"Oh, thank god"

"You guys made it!"

"That's a whole lotta monsters" AJ observes, watching the herd that stumbled around them.

"And more coming by the minute" Louis adds in disbelief at the amount that are pouring in.

"Stay cool, we knew this would happen." Clementine calms them, reminding them of the plan.

AJ is staring at Violets eyes in discomfort, not liking the way they seem to be staring at nothing.

"Violet, are your eyes-"

"Fucked up. They're fucked up" Violet admits, sounding angry at herself.

"We just have to get off this beach" Clementine states, standing to peer over the crates and look for an escape route. He scans the shore, sighing internally at the raiders that were still standing, doing their best to fight off the walkers that surrounded them.

"Look!" Clementine whispers sharply, directing his sight to where she was looking.  
"They brought the cart around."

Ruby and Willy had somehow managed to fight their way through, Ruby having calmed the horse enough to stay nearby with the carts whilst Willy fought off the walkers that approached.

"Ruby! Willy!" Aasim shouts, happy to see them alive.

This unfortunatly grabs the attention of the raiders, one of them spotting what they were shouting about. Her lips curl into a snarl at the sight of them, turning to say something to her fellow soldier, although he can't hear over the groans of the undead.

Next thing he knows, the other raider has turned to face where the cart is, firing a round in Willy's direction. Louis breathes a sigh of relief when the bullet misses, not even knowing he had stopped breathing from the fear.

"Shit! Clem, do something!" Aasim pleads as the raiders continue to fire.

There's no hesitation in Clementines eyes as she pulls Marlons bow from her back, aiming with deadly precision, the arrow piercing through the raiders neck who drops the rifle to grab at her throat before dropping to the floor.

The other raider notices this, only taking a second to acknowledge the death of someone he presumed was a friend before her gaze lands on Clementine.

"You!" She spits, pulling out a handgun and taking aim at Clementine.

Clementine ducks just as the first round is fired, missing her by a inch. The sound of gunfire draws in the walkers, and the woman doesn't have a chance. There are much too many of them, surrounding her as she steps back into one behind her in horror.

He can't help but feel sympathetic at her screams of agony as they begin to devour her, forcing her to the floor as they rip her apart.

"No! Get away from her!"

Was... Was that Minnie?

It was indeed. She appeared to be overtaken with grief and rage at those she had lost, picking up the rifle the other raider had dropped.  
The Delta must have trained her well, as each shot meets its mark, walkers dropping with every shot fired.

The ammo runs out quickly though, gun clicking as Minnie continues to pull the trigger uselessly at the approaching walkers. She throws the rifle down in frustration, picking up the fire axe she had once wielded before, taking the walkers out seemingly out of rage rather than survival.

"She's lost it!" He whispers to Clementine who watches it all unfold.

"Minnie? What's going on?" Violet asks, concerned but frustrated she couldn't see what was happening around them.

Louis stands by Clementine, watching as Minnie takes on the next walker that approaches. She swings the axe at its face, blade getting caught within the bone of its skull. Those few seconds it takes to yank it back out prove to be crucial, another walker taking advantage of her lack of weapon to sink its teeth into the flesh of her arm.

Minnie yells from the pain, bringing up a knee to slam the walkers face, pushing it off her.

"Oh, my god" Omar exclaims, looking to the group in disbelief.

The Minnie he knew was gone, but it still hurt to see. Some part of him had held onto the hope that she could change back to who she was, return to the school and have everything be as it was. It seemed that idea, that hope would die with Minnie.

"We need to make a break for it, now!" Clementine orders, glancing anxiously at the horse that rears in fear at all the walkers.  
"Everyone run to the cart, I'll stay back and cover you."

He knows better than to argue with her, despite every part of him not wanting to leave her side. He nods reluctantly to her, looking over to Violet who shifts uncomfortably.

"Clementine? Everything I said back on the boat, I... Uh-"

"Worry about that later" Clementine dismisses Violets apology, too focused on getting everyone to safety.

The others remained crouched as they head to the next cover, waiting for the walkers to pass before they can get any closer. Louis makes his way over to Clementine, struggling with the right words to say, just in case everything went wrong.

"Right behind me?"

"Yep, just like the ninja I am"

"The ninjas _we_ are"

Her resulting smile is everything he needs right now, taking comfort from the reassurance in her eyes. He doesn't even think, grabbing Clementine by the shoulder and pulling her in for a kiss that he feared could be their last, not even caring that AJ was undoubtedly watching them.

If there's one thing this world has taught him, its that every moment can be your last, so make it count.

" _Be careful_ " He whispers in parting, reminding her of their promise to one another.

He rips his gaze from hers, knowing that if he looked for a second longer, he wouldn't be able to leave her side. It doesnt take long to catch up with the others, still stuck in cover from the sheer number of walkers that surrounded the cart.

Clementine does as promised, standing from cover with Marlons bow and firing to clear a path and to take out any walkers that got too near. Louis keeps hold of Violets hand, guiding her towards the cart that would take them home.

Aasim takes over once Omar is in the cart, helping Violet who was struggling to get inside of the cart. Louis turns to Clementine, waving his hand to signal her over now that everyone was safe.

"Clementine!"

He stills at Minnie's shout, face paling at the chunk of flesh that had been taken out of her cheek. He can physically feel himself pale further when he spots the grenade in her hand. She pulls the pin from its place, raising her arm in preperarion to throw in Clementines direction. 

"Fuck you!"

Clementine  is quick to respond to. The threat, firing an arrow into Minnie's shoulder just as she releases the grenade. The hit pushes the grenade off course, but only slightly, not enough to get them out of danger. Yet another explosion goes off as the grenade detonates, one too many for tonight. He can just about see Clementine and AJ on the forest floor, having dove away from the threat when the horse finally gives into its panic, the startling loudness of the explosion proving too much as it takes off.

He grunts as the sudden movement forces him down, feeling the cold metal floor against his back. He pushes himself back up swiftly, unable to do a thing but watch helplessly as Clementine and AJ dissappear into the distance.

Aasim moves first, Louis still sitting in shock from what had just happened. Aasim has one hand on the side of the the cage to steady himself, leaning forward to slam the cage door closed, preventing any of them from accidentally falling out as the cart moved down the path.

The sound of the door slamming into place snaps Louis out of his daze, turning to face Aasim as he slumps back down, back leaning against the bars of the cage.

"We've gotta turn this around, go help them." Louis says, looking to the others who were sat in exhaustion.

"We can't, Louis. We have to get back to the school. Omar still needs his leg looked at properly, and Vi..." Aasim responds softly, glancing over at Violet.

Louis' expression softens at the sight of her. She was huddled in the corner of the cage, shaking as the pain from the explosion had begun to set in after the shock had worn off.

He shuffles over as best as he can in the small space, nearly falling once or twice at the carts rickety movements. He sits next to her gently, still managing to startle her as he places a hand on her arm.

"We're going home, Vi. We're going to patch you up in no time."

"Louis? I... I can't see a thing."

That really wasn't good. 

"Nothing at all? Is it... Is it completly black?" He asks, unsettled by the way her eyes darted around, trying to find him.

"Sort of. There's nothing out of this eye..." She trails off, pointing to her right eye.  
"Its like it's just... Gone."

"And the other?"

"I don't really know. Its hard to explain what I'm seeing. It's like it's trying, but can't make sense of what it's trying to look at. Like a blur of colors."

He nods sadly at her words, resisting the urge to slap himself when he realises she can't see it.

"It might heal. You never know. We'll know more once Ruby can take a look." He tries his best to comfort her.

Violet doesn't respond to this. The crickets had returned to their usual song, complimenting the creaking of the carts wheels and clacking of the horses hooves as they moved towards the school.

This was going to change everything.  
Without her vision, Violet wouldnt be able to do... Well... Anything. She wouldnt be able to hunting, she wouldn't be able to go fishing, she wouldn't be able to go scavenging.

"What happened on the beach? Where's Clementine? AJ? Minnie? Tenn?" Violet breaks the silence.

Louis frowns, unsure as to the best way to approach what happened to Minnie.

And... Shit... Tenn... He wasn't in the cart with them. Last he saw, he was over with Willy, helping with the supplies.

"Willy, you see what happened to Tenn?" He asks Willy, the younger boys heard perking up upon hearing his name.

Willy shakes his head sadly, looking out of the bars of the cage to the beach that was steadily going out of view.

"He was cutting the ropes of the raft with me, but got too scared of the water and wouldn't get on the raft. He stayed behind on the beach and... That's the last I saw him."

Shit... Please be okay, Tenn...

"Fuck. Dammit, Tenn..." Violet muttered

And... And Clementine and AJ... He had no idea what had happened, if they were even alive...

"Clem and AJ were giving us cover as planned, making sure we got to the cage all right. That's when Minnie, she... She got bit, Vi." He tells Violet who tenses at this, shock preventing her from speaking.  
"They got her on the arm and... And the face, too. She completly lost it and threw a grenade at Clem. Last I saw of them was on the forest floor, but the explosion from the grenade startled the horse. I... I don't know what happened to them..." Louis trails off, looking out into the distance.

"C'mon, this is Clementine we're talking about." Aasim pipes up from his spot, giving Louis a sympathetic look.  
"She'll get through that herd no problem"

While she was definitely a bad ass, it seemed like only a miracle would be able to get her through that herd.

Here was for wishing for one, now.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rosie is the first thing he sees as they pull up to the school, tail wagging happily at their return as she sat on the other side of the schools gate.

"Alright, let me get a look at y'all. Anyone injured?" Ruby asks as she dismounts the horse, walking over to the door of the cage and throwing it open.

"You need to check Violet first. Her eyes..." Aasim tells Ruby, jumping out of the cart and helping Omar who cautiously makes his way out.

Louis grabs Violets hand, gently guiding her out of the cage and towards the school gates. Ruby hovers nearby like a worried mother hen, holding the gate open as they make their way through.

"I'm fine, there's no need-"

" _No_ , Vi. You're not fine." Louis interrupts, sitting her down on the school steps as Ruby rushes inside for her medical supplies.  
"Please, just let Ruby take a look"

"Fine"

Louis sits down next to her, sighing in exhaustion as he stared up at the night sky. Its not long before Ruby is rushing back out of the main entrance to the school, box of supplies in hand.

"Louis, you still got those matches?"

"Sure, got em' here." He responds, pulling the box out of his coat and passing them Ruby. She strikes one against the box, lighting one of their spare candles and placing it next to Violet for some added light.

Ruby leans closer to Violet, studying her eyes and the swollen skin around them. She grabs the candle next to her, holding it up closer to Violets face to get a better look.

"Good news is, your eyes aren't infected. We'll have to apply some anti-septic to make sure it stays that way, but it'll make recovery a hell of a lot easier." Ruby tells Violet, placing the candle back in its original position.  
"Okay, Vi. I want you to cover your left eye for me. Can you do that?"

Violet huffs, bringing up her hand to cover her eye. She winces when she touches the tender skin around the eye, wound still burning.

Ruby lifts her hand, waving it quickly past Violets open eye. She frowns when Violet doesn't react at all, staring blankly into the distance.

"Are you supposed to be doing something?"

"I did, Vi. You really didn't see it?"

"No..."

Ruby sighs, giving Louis a worried look and shaking her head.

"Okay, now I need you to cover the other eye."

"Ruby, this is pointless-"

"Vi" Louis warns, Violet frowning at his stern tone.

She does as Ruby asks, switching hands to cover the other eye. Ruby throws one last hopeful look at Louis before she repeats what she had done the last time, waving a hand in front of Violets face.

Violet flinches, pulling her head back from the movement.

"The hell was that?"

Ruby laughs in relief, and his chest swells with hope at the sound.

"Looks like you've still got some sight out of your left eye. It's a good sign, means your sight in that eye might recover."

"And my other eye?"

Rubys mouth snaps shut, looking to Violet in sympathy.

"It's early days right now, you never know..."

"But?"

"But its pretty damaged from what I can tell. There's a chance you might not ever regain vision in that eye."

Violets jaw clenches, looking away from the two and to the ground. Ruby has her hands buried in the box, pulling out some items and placing them next to her.

"I need to apply some anti-septic to the skin around your eyes. Not gonna lie, this is gonna sting." Ruby warns, holding the anti-septic in her hands.

Violets teeth clench at the pain of it, trying not to move her head away as Ruby applied the anti-septic.

"Sorry, worst parts over." Ruby apologises, putting the anti-septic back and grabbing some gauze.  
"Now all I need to do is wrap up your right eye and you'll be done."

Louis gives Violets hand a comforting squeeze as Ruby works on wrapping the gauze around Violets head to hold up a small square bandage covering her right eye.

Now that he knew Violet was okay, all he could think about was whether Clementine was alive. He had no idea how she and AJ could have possibly made it safely through that herd back on the beach. They were experienced survivors for sure, but it can't be easy for just two people, one being a five year old, to take down or escape a whole herd by themselves.

Either way, he couldn't just sit here and _hope_ they were okay. Couldn't be the one to sit around and wait for others to pick up the slack. That wasn't going to work anymore. He had to go, go back to that damn beach and find them.

"You gonna be okay without me for a bit?" He asks Violet, who snorts in return.

"Of course I am, what kind of question is that?" Violet returns with a half smile. She pauses in her thoughts, frowning in his general direction.  
"Why does it sound like you're about to do something stupid?"

Well, when you put it that way...

"I have to find her, Vi. I just have to. I'll never be able to forgive myself if they needed help and I wasn't there." He admits softly, giving her hand one last squeeze as he prepared to stand.

Violet squeezed his hand in return, reassuring him she would be alright. Her hand had shifted slightly however, putting a bit too much pressure on his missing finger. Louis yelps from the pain, arm instinctively jerking away.

"Shit, sorry! I nearly forgot about your finger." Violet blurted in apology.

"His finger?" Ruby asks, looking down to his hand, blanching at the sight of what remains.   
"Good lord! What did they do?!"

"Doesn't matter right now." He responds, cradling his hand to his chest. "I have to go find Clementine"

"And leave that wound to become infected? I don't think so, Louis!"

But he was already standing, swiftly making his way over to the gates to get out of the school and find Clementine.

"Louis, wait!" Aasim shouts for him, having noticed the commotion and running after him.

Aasim grabs onto the back of Louis' arm, stopping him from advancing him any further, yanking on his arm to spin Louis to face him.

"You have to let me go, man." Louis pleads, irritated he had been stopped.

"Where are you going? Ruby needs to patch up your hand, it really looks like it's in bad shape." 

"There's no time for that. Clementine and AJ could be in trouble, and Tenn might still be out there. I need to go find them." 

"Are you insane? We don't have any weapons, you have nothing to defend yourself out there!"

"It doesn't matter-"

"Doesn't matter? Did you not see the amount of walkers on that beach!" Aasim interrupts on disbelief, waving his arm in the beaches direction. 

"Yes! Yes I saw! And that's exactly why I have to go back! You can't expect me to not go and help Clem, help AJ, make sure they get back safe."

Aasim still looks unsure, still holding onto Louis' arm to stop him from walking away.

Louis looks over Aasims shoulder, seeing that Ruby had moved on to Omar, unwinding the bandage the raiders had applied to check on the gunshot wound.

Louis leans slightly closer to Aasim who frowns in confusion, lowering his voice so the others wouldn't hear his next words. 

"Would you be able to sit here and do nothing if it was Ruby out there? If she was the one in trouble?"

Aasims eyes widen at this, looking over his shoulder to Ruby as she and Willy helped Omar to stand and make their way inside.

"If you can look me in the face and honestly tell me you wouldn't, then I'll stay." Louis finishes, begging for Aasim to understand why he has to do this.

Aasim looks back to him, conflicted at his words. Aasim suprises him by pulling him forward, embracing him in a very uncharacteristic hug.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Aasim tells him sternly, patting his back as he backs away from the hug.

"No promises" He jokes with a smile at Aasims exasperated sigh, who then pinches his nose and shakes his head.

"I'm going to have to dig another grave, aren't I?" He hears Aasim mumble to himself as Louis walks through the gates and down the path that would hopefully lead him to Clementine.

_Hang in there, Clem. I'm bringing you home._


	15. Chapter 15

Thin wisps of cloud like fog escape his mouth as he exhales, the chill of the night signaling the coming winter. A lone owl gently hoots from within the trees as he walks through the forest, shadows of the night playing tricks on him, branches seemingly reaching towards him like walker hands.

"Come on, Louis. Come on. This is for Clementine." He whispers to himself, eyes darting around him, childhood fears creeping up at the darkness that surrounded him.

He could just barely make out the path in front of him as he walked, retracing their steps, or, uh, the horses steps, back towards the river.

His mind was tormenting him cruelly, picturing the worst possible scenarios for what he would find when he arrived.

Would he find Clementine and AJ's bodies, hardly recognisable as their flesh barely clung to bone whilst the walkers devoured them? Would he find them ambling along the shoreline, unable to avoid the hordes awaiting teeth, joining them in a life of aimless wandering? Or would he find nothing at all, forced to live the rest of his life not knowing what had become of them, to live with the knowledge that he had abondened them in their time of need?

No. No, he wasn't going to think like that. They were out there, they were alive, he knew it. He could _feel_ it. He just had to find them first. And to do that, he just had to keep following the path.

Speaking of...

Where was the path?

A blanket of leaves laid across the forest ground was all he could make out as he squinted out to the darkness, panic rising when he's unable to find the path he had only just been walking down.

Fucking fantastic. All he had to do was follow the path, and he couldn't even do that right.

Unwilling to admit defeat, he tredges onward, heading blindly in the direction of the beach. He knew the area partly, he was sure it wouldn't be long before he stumbled across something he recognised which would send him in the right direction.

A low murmer catches his attention, standing out amongst the whisper of the gentle wind around him. Someone was nearby, likely more than one person considering they were having a conversation. He freezes at the sound, straining his hearing to pick out any words of the conversation.

Unable to do so, he moves quietly in their direction to get a better look. There were no living raiders on the beach when they left, but there was always a chance some had survived the explosion, or perhaps were nearby in the forest at the time of the explosion. If they had survived, being spotted wouldnt be ideal...

The voices were getting louder now. Louis looks out in the direction of the voices, making out three familiar looking shadows stood in a clearing, conversing with one another.

A break in the thick layer of cloud revealed some much needed moonlight, illuminating the area around him.

He had asked for a miracle. And it had been answered.

His heart jumps with pure joy at the sight of Clementine, Marlons bow still strung across her back, AJ and Tenn stood beside her as they talked, oblivious to Louis' presence.

Not for long, though.

His feet pound across the forest floor, breaking out into a sprint, wanting nothing more than to be by her side as quick as he possibly can. No words could describe the delight he was feeling at that moment, knowing she had made it. That he hadn't lost her forever.

Clementine startles at the sound of rushing footsteps, whirling round to face the oncoming threat. She barely has a moment to take in the figure, eyes widening in realisation.

"Lou-"

Louis crashes into her, cutting her off mid word. Clementine stumbles back at the sudden collision, hands grasping onto his arms in an attempt to steady herself. He brings shaky hands up to caress her face, squeezing his eyes shut tight to prevent the relieved tears that threatened to escape as his lips collided with hers, pouring all the passion he could muster into the kiss.

Clementine melts into his touch, softening her tight hold against his arms as she leans into him. Louis breaks away, eyes still closed as he softly leans his forehead against hers, taking a moment to catch his breath.

He opens his eyes the same time hers flutter open, entranced by their warm golden glow.

"What was that for?" She breathes shakily.

_Because I think I've fallen in love with you_

The words are so close to slipping out, to speaking them out loud before he can truly take in their meaning himself. Clementine is still gazing at him with a curious smile, waiting for his answer.

"You're not dead. That's good."

Clementine huffs a small laugh at the words he had once used in introduction, resting her head against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him.

"Louis!"

AJ's excited shout startles him slightly, looking around for the young boy.

"Hey, little--oof"

He gets cut off as AJ slams into his legs, giving him a slightly smaller taste of his own medicine.

Tenn approaches timidly, not wanting to be left out of the hug. Louis holds an arm out, inviting him into the groups embrace, to which Tenn gladly accepts, his small arms struggling to wrap around all three of them.

"Wait" Clementine begins, pushing herself out of the hug, realising Louis was alone  
"What about the others? Did everyone get back home okay?"

Louis smiles in response, tugging at the lapels of his coat as he usually did when something was making him feel happy.

"Damn right! They took that cart and hauled ass back to the school"

Clementine looks to him in confusion, the question of "then why are you here?" clear from her expression. Her face softens when she realises the reason before he can say it.

"But you came to look for us..."

Did she really think he wouldn't?

He steps slightly closer, reaching out to grab her hands and hold them between the two of them.

"Thought I lost you"

"Only for a minute" She reassures him, lips curling into a small smile.

"Longest damn minute of my life" He confesses to her, able to finally relax now she was here, safe and sound.  
"Its over, Clem. The raiders are gone and we got everyone out alive. Ruby says Violets eyes aren't infected, so that's good too. They're all waiting for us back home."

"Any idea which way that is?"

Oh, right. He might know where to go, _if_ he hasn't just gotten lost.

Louis peers around at his surroundings, able to see slightly clearer now with the aid of the moonlight.

This was definitely somewhere he had been before, though a long time ago. If he was right, there were some caves somehwhere nearby which led to the river. Which meant...

"I haven't been down here in a while, but I think there's a bridge... That way. It's the fastest way back" He tells Clementine, turning to where he hoped was the right way, pointing in its direction.

"Let's go"

He watches her fondly as she goes, AJ and Tenn trailing just behind. Clementine stops, looking over her shoulder at him with a confused look.

"Louis? The bridge?"

Right, yeah, he was supposed to be leading the way.

"Sorry..." He apologises in embarrassment, jogging to catch up, slowing once he was by her side.

Clementine chuckles at his sheepish look, knocking her shoulders into his own as they walk.

"Idiot."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The walk back to the school would be long, even when using the bridge as a shortcut. No one is speaking, partly out of keeping quiet not to alert any walkers, but also as no one quite knows what to say.

He can see Clementine throwing worried glances at him out of the corner of his eye. Everytime he turns to look at her, she turns away however, apparently finding the ground a much more interesting focus point.

Louis' hand brushes past his coat as he walks, catching the fresh wound on his finger. He hisses at the sudden pain, cradling his hand with a grimace.

Clementine notices this, staring down at his hand guiltily before her eyes flicker back up to his face.

"How's the hand?"

"It hurts like hell. But... It could have been a lot worse." He tells her, not even wanting to think about what it would have been like if they had decided to take his whole hand and not just a finger.

Clementine nods in understanding, bringing her own hand up to her face and turning her wrist to expose her missing ring finger.

"It'll seem weird at first. You'll look at your hand and get a little shock when your finger's not there, but that goes away. " She assures him, dropping her hand back to her side.

He brings his own hand closer to his face, grimacing at the bloody mess that was left. How could he get used to that?

"I'd ask you to pinky promise, but uh... Yeah..." His joke falls flat, Clementine still looking guilty as her eyes move back to focus on the ground, an awkward silence envoloping them once again.

Only one pinky left now, no way in hell he was going to risk that one with another pinky promise. Well, only promises he _knows_ he can keep.

If he had just kept his damn mouth shut, let Clementine take charge of the situation, maybe he wouldnt have lost his finger back on the boat. Maybe the escape would have gone a little differently, Violet might not have been injured, Minnie might not have been bitten.

And...

And that raider...Dorian...

He can't even think of her name without hearing the way Minnie had screamed her name in anguish, without seeing the arrow protruding from her head, feel the way her blood had soaked into his clothes.

 _He_ had done that. Without even really meaning to. One little mistake, one small squeeze, and she was just... Gone.

"I killed that woman... Back on the boat."

Clementine glances up at him at this, the topic taking her by surprise. She pauses, thinking over her next words.

"Was that your first?"

She had asked it gently, obviously trying not to upset him. But it sounded so casual, like a friend asking if they had had their first kiss.

His first kill. His first _human_ kill. Before this whole thing started, such a thought would never have occurred to him, to think about having to take a life. Truthfully, even after the dead started walking, he tried to convince himself that he never would. Wouldn't it be so easy, to just survive in the school forever, never to be found by others, to live peacefully among the walkers?

It was a pipe dream, one that would come to an arubt halt sooner or later. He just didn't realise it would be so soon...

"Yeah. My first... It feels like bile, y'know? Or... Or like a scream that doesn't know if it should or not"

"It'll get easier. I promise"

He knew she was technically right. Anything gets easier when you do it enough times. But he didn't like knowing that his first probably wouldn't be his last.

"You know what? It's fucked up, but I _know_ it will. I'm just glad to know I have it in me. At all...  
Having a home means defending it."

Clementine smiles, as relieved to see him stepping up to his new responsibilities as he felt himself.

"Yeah. Yeah, it does."

"I really thought we were gonna die on that boat." He professes to Clementine, thinking back to those terrifying moments they were sneaking off the boat, expecting the bomb to go off at any second.  
"The dumbest shit _always_ goes through my head when that happens. My old pet turtle, Geoff. My grandma's phone number. The word that lost me the fourth grade spelling bee: recommend. Stupid shit..."

Clementine is looking to him, part in amusement at his words but still with sympathy at the annoyed look on his his face as he talked about his odd memories.

"Anything new this time?"

"You, mostly."

Clementine nearly stumbles over her feet at his answer, not expecting herself to be what he was thinking about in his possible last moments.

"Me? What about me?"

"How I had let you down. That I broke my promise to you, put myself in danger like that... It was stupid, _I_ was stupid. I could have fucked it all up..."

Clementine places her hand on his arm, forcing his gaze to meet hers.

"Hey, it's okay. I don't blame you. Lilly was trying to get in your head, and you had just learnt about the loss of a friend. It's completly understandable. We all struggle with our emotions in times like that."

He smiles at her comforting words, feeling like he doesn't deserve to be forgiven so easily.

"It doesn't change the fact that I let you down. It was all I could think about, after that woman had..." He trails off, not wanting to think about her.  
"Just...just all the people I keep letting down."

"What do you mean?"

"You're the last of many, Clem. I always said I would protect Violet, and where was I when she needed me most? I told Marlon that he could be forgiven, that we could work things out, and I did nothing to stop AJ from firing that gun.  
I told my parents I loved them more than anything in this world, then I forced them apart like a spoiled brat."

Clementine watches him as they walk, frowning but choosing not to interrupt and just let him rant.

"You know, before all of that, my parents were building a house. I begged my dad to put in a skylight, _begged_.  
_'Please, if you love me you'll do it!'_  
That shit definitely didn't work... So, we made a deal. I got straight A's, he'd put in a skylight."

"And you thought of that just now?" She asks him, slightly befuddled.

"They never got to build the house... I don't even know what color it was gonna be. I should've asked. Sure should of..."

"Well, what color did you hope it was going to be?"

"Oh, uh... Maybe purple?"

"Is that your favourite color?"

"No, but, you don't see many purple houses. Why not stand out?"

"Of course you'd say that..."

"Of course."

It was a ridiculous idea. In the middle of the apocalypse, nearly all buildings that remained derelict and collapsing, paint chipped and every inch covered in dust. And then, standing our from the rest, he imagined an immaculate, bright purple house, towering over the others. Then again, maybe it could be smaller? One floor, perhaps? He was going to need some help to think it up...

"Okay, I'm staying to visualise the place. How many floors?" He asks with an inquisitive smile

Clementine looks away for a moment, clearing taking this as seriously as he was. A pleased smile appears on her face as she turns back to answer.

"Nine hundred and fourteen."

Was she reading his mind when he said it would tower over the others? Or perhaps great minds think alike.

"Thats outrageous"

Clementine looks away shamefully, realising how silly it sounded.

"Yeah..."

His face breaks into a grin as he glances back at her, pleased by his own acting skills.

"I love it"

Clementine smiles back shyly at him before turning back to face where they were walking.

"I like what I'm seeing, I could definitely live there. Gimmie a last flourish, though. One thing to bring it all together." He draws out the 'all' as he speaks, waving his hands in front of him as he envisions their new home.  
"C'mon, the coup de grace. The 'Insert other French phase here'. What'll it be?"

"Well, how were your grades?" She asks, already knowing the answer

"They would have been straight A's!"

Lies...

"Then I guess we're putting in a skylight"

"Thanks, dad"

That...that was supposed to sound better than it did...

"Uh, you're welcome, Weirdo..."

It was a rather hilarious image. A house that was nine hundred and fourteen floors high (and somehow still stable). It's striking purple color up high against the sky would be a pretty good way to tell everyone in the whole damn country where they were. They wouldn't even need to put in a skylight, when their home was already up in the sky.

Still, it was an idea that was strangely... Alluring. Domestic, even. The thought of living a life where this might have been a real discussion they would have had one day. A day when they moved in together, squabbled over what color to paint the rooms, of what goes where. At the end of the day, it wouldn't matter, because it would be home. It would be _their_ home.

"We get back to the school, we are building that house" He asserts to Clementine, who shakes her head in amusement.

"You really think we can do it?" She asks him sarcastically

"Well, maybe not _all_ nine hundred floors-"

"And fourteen!" Clementine interrupts, scolding him for his mistake with a smile. 

"And fourteen. _But_ , I really hope we can."

"Can I help?" Tenn asks shyly from behind them, unable to stop himself from following along in the twos daydream.

"Of course you can. You're in charge of painting." He assures Tenn, looking back over to Clementine, smiling at the thought of building their house together.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Its a huge relief when the old bridge comes into view after a long time of walking, slightly worried he was leading everyone in the complete wrong direction.

The relief doesn't last long however, seeing the state of the bridge as they walked closer. Age had played its toll, parts of the wood rotting and collapsing way. There was no way of knowing how well it could support them.

"Okay, just take your time and keep moving forward" Clementine tells them, already taking charge of the situation, stepping onto the first section of the bridge.

They follow, not too far behind but not too close to ensure the bridge doesn't collapse under their added weight. Each step he takes makes his chest clench from the anxiety, listening to the creaks and groans of the bridge as they advance.

Clementine, still in the lead, hops over an abondened truck, startling some crows that had been resting on the truckbed. Something gives her pause, edging closer to the end of the bridge with caution.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy...

The end of the bridge had collapsed, revealing a seemingly endless drop into the rushing water below. Not that the risk of drowning would kill them, nor the fall into the water from this height, but most likely it would be landing on the pointed rugged rocks that littered the cliff side that would do it. 

"That looks far..." AJ notes nervously once he reaches Clementines side.

" _Really_ far" Tenn adds, twiddling his fingers upon seeing the drop.

Louis edges slightly closer to the end of the bridge, eying the distance from where they were to the other side. It was indeed far, but perhaps not impossible. If they all took a running leap, they should clear that gap no problem.

"I think we can jump it." He tells Clementine, looking over to her for her opinion.

"Yeah, I think we can. We just have to be careful not to land too-"

" _Never mind the darkness..."_

What...

He slowly looks over to Clementine, gauging her reaction to check he wasn't hearing things. Part of him wishes he is, because the look of dread on her face doesn't comfort him in the slightest.

_"Never mind the storm..."_

All four simulatenously turn, searching for the source of the hauntingly beautiful voice behind them. His hands were trembling at the sight of the figure that sluggishly approached them, head bowed down and dragging their feet along the dirt as they moved.

_"Never mind the blood red moon..."_

The figure steps out from the treeline, no longer obscured by the shadows of the forest.

Minnie...

She was... Almost unrecognisable. Covered from head to toe in blood, he wasnt too sure if it was hers or walkers. Her hair was matted, tangled up by the blood that had dried in it. The moonlight made her skin seem even paler, the missing chunk in her cheek standing out, ripping even further open as she sings.

_"The night will be over soon..."_

"Minnie?"

Even Tenn seems unsure, unsettled by the person who was once his sister. Never the less, he steps closer, entranced by the prospect of reuniting with his sister.

"I did it! I found you! Oh, Tenn..." Minnie sounds on the verge of tears, continuing to shamble towards them, the fire axe she had wielded before resting on her shoulder.  
"My sweet little brother...Come with me..."

"You're dying... " Tenn states, stepping backwards slightly, unconsciously moving away from his sister. 

"Yes... Yes I am. I'm finally going someplace better. I want you there with me." Minnie babbled, voice alight with relief at the prospect of leaving this world behind.

"Where... Where everyone gets to be... A person again?"

Oh no, no Tenn.

"We're gonna go be with Mom, and Dad, and Sophie... Together. It won't be real if you're not there."

"Tenn, snap out of it! She wants to kill you!" Clementine shouts, desperately trying to pull Tenn out of his trance like state.

"I know, but-"

He was so focused on Tenn that he didn't see Minnie pull out the pistol, firing a round into the air. The resulting bang is deafening in the quiet of the night, birds screeching and walkers groaning in response.

"Don't you fucking speak to him! Any of you!"

Minnie had truly lost it, waving the gun in their direction just as Marlon had only a few weeks ago. It was odd, seeing those same eyes of a person on the brink of madness.

He ducks, scrambling to the truck for some cover. Clementine and AJ do the same, eyes wide in alarm at the events that were unfolding. Tenn crouches at the gunfire, but doesn't move into cover with the rest of them.

"Don't worry, Tenn. She can try to stop me. But I'm not going _anywhere_ without you."

Tenn has a hopeful smile on his face, slowly standing from his position to move towards Minnie. Louis shakes his head desperately at Tenn, Clementine doing the same as Tenn appears to willingly walk towards his death.

"The night will be over soon..."

Clementine springs into actions, rushing forward to grab Tenn back to them. He nearly falls backwards at the bullets that just miss her head, impacting into the cabin of the truck they were hiding behind. Clementine _does_ fall backwards, raising a hand to protect her face from the splintered wood that flew from the bullet holes as she drops back down into cover.

"Get down!" Clementine commands Tenn who remains standing, waiting for the incoming hail of bullets. AJ doesn't give Minnie another chance to fire, the young boy tackling Tenn to the ground when Tenn refuses to get down himself.

The groans of the undead are impossibly loud now, a large herd drawn to the bridge by Minnie's shouts and gunfire. There was only one way off this bridge now, they _had_ to jump. There was only death awaiting on the other side.

"I'll get the kids across the gap!" He tells Clementine, remaining low as he moves towards AJ and Tenn who are sprawled across the floor, AJ keeping Tenn from doing something stupid again.  
"Don't let the walkers get close!"

He grabs ahold of AJ's arm, tugging to let him know they had to move. AJ pushes himself off of Tenn, not needing any guidance to move towards the gap in the bridge.

Tenn, on the other hand, is frozen in fear, refusing to move. He looks over at Clementine who is doing her best to keep the walkers at bay, firing arrows from Marlons bow at any walker that was close by, ducking back into cover when Minnie broke out of her own walker cover to fire at Clementine.

"C'mon, Tenn! Come on! Please, just walk with me, just over here." He begs Tenn who is shaking, eyes darting from him to the oncoming herd.

Louis practically has to drag Tenn to the edge of the bridge, watching as AJ takes a running leap, just barely making the landing on the other side with a harsh thud.

"Okay, Tenn. You just have to do as AJ did. Just run and jump."

Tenn shakes his head, flinching at the gunfire just behind them. His trembling continues, curling up into a ball and covering his ears at the loud noises.

Fuck, there was no way he was going to get Tenn over that gap willingly. Clementine was doing her best, but there was just too many of them, inching closer and closer. He could feel the bridge creaking, struggling to remain intact at the overwhelming weight of the walkers.

He rushes over to Clementines side as she once again ducks from the bullets that flew past, turning to take in his panicked expression.

"AJ's across" He reassures her, pointing over to where AJ waits, still trying his best to tempt Tenn over the gap.  
"I can't get Tenn to budge"

"I have to stop her" Clementine responds, nocking the next arrow and standing to find Minnie amongst the crowd of walkers.

He had turned back to try and get Tenn to budge from his spot when he heard a thud, feeling something hit hit ankle. He glances down to see the object in question was Marlons bow. That's when he hears a yell of pure fury, spinning back around to see Clementine laying on the ground, Minnie towering over her with axe lifted above her head, ready to strike down.

Clementine rolls away in the nick of time, Minnie's axe getting caught in the wooden panels of the bridge where Clementines head was just just a moment ago. She wasn't out of danger yet though, a walker that had crawled under the truck now grabbing onto her leg, pulling her towards itself.

Louis snatches the bow by his feet, nearly dropping the arrow that had slipped out of the string as he draws it back, praying all the target practice had paid off as he aims and releases.

He's so caught up in his relief at seeing the arrow pierce the walkers skull that he hadn't noticed Minnie has moved, slamming her shoulder into him as hard as she could. It takes him off guard, pushed off his feet and slamming into the bridge railing, sliding down to the floor. The force of the hit sent the bow flying out of his grasp, watching helplessly as it slides towards the gap, slipping down and out of sight forever.

"You are NOT his family!" Minnie screams at Clementine, aiming the pistol at her face and pulling the trigger without a second thought. It clicks, signifying the chamber was empty.  
"You are just something in my way..."

Clementine tackles Minnie as she tries to reload, pushing her back towards the railing as they fight over control of the gun. Minnie may have been stronger once, but her injuries were weakening her, giving Clementine the upper hand. Clementine slams her head into Minnie's face, the pain forcing Minnie to release the gun.

Clementine snatches the gun away as Minnie drops to the floor, Clementine aiming and preparing to shoot. Minnie uses her own dirty tactics, spitting the blood that had collected in her mouth into Clementines eyes. It's enough to force Clementine to miss, bullet just missing Minnie as she had lifted her hands instinctively to wipe the blood from her eyes.

Theres nothing he can do to stop it. No weapon he can use to protect Clementine.

Nothing he can do but watch as Minnie picks up the axe, bringing it down onto Clementines leg, hearing the sickening sound of flesh splitting, bone crunching from the impact, muscle and tendons seperating from the bone.

The agony of it proves to be too much for Clementine, stumbling backwards and falling to the ground, her leg no longer able to support her weight. She grasps at her leg, blood spilling from the wound, the movement forcing the split to open even wider.

Minnie still hasn't given up, using the axe as support as she climbs back up to her feet, limping over to finish the job. Clementine grabs the gun she had dropped just as Minnie lifts the axe one final time.

"I'm taking Tenn home! I'm going-"

Clementine doesn't let Minnie finish her insane rant, squeezing the trigger and firing. The bullet rips through Minnie's shoulder and she falls backwards, right into the waiting hands of the dead.

Minnie screams in denial as the walkers begin to feast, teeth sinking into any piece of flesh they can reach.

"Minnie? Minnie!"

Tenn rushes forward at his sisters anguished cries, hands reaching, unsure whether he should try to pull her out or walk to her, to join her in death.

Louis looks to Tenn and Clementine in despair. Clementine is in obvious agony, the wound of her leg making it a struggle to move. Tenn is caught up in his own trance, not aware of the dangers of the walkers that surround them.

Tenn _needed_ help. Clementine was injured, badly, but he knew she was still in the right mind, could still get herself over the bridge.

Tenn couldn't. Or, wouldn't...

"Get across! I'll help Tenn!" He tells her, stopping to make sure she heard him. She nods, struggling to her feet and making her way towards AJ.

He hears the clang of the axe behind him, shortly before the sound of a body hitting the ground, Clementine groaning at the pain as she falls to her front, having made the jump.

"Tenn, we have to go, _now_!" He shouts over the walkers groans, grabbing Tenn by the shoulders and tugging him away. Tenn refuses, fighting against his hold, squirming to pull himself out of Louis's grasp.  
"TENN! Fucking MOVE!"

He had hoped his yells would snap Tenn out of it, make him realise how dangerous the situation was. He had to reliase that Minnie was gone, that she had just tried to end his life, end all of their lives just moments ago.

The walkers were beginning to move away from Minnie now, attracted to them by their yells and Tenns flailing movements. If they didn't move now, they were going to die. But he wasn't ready to give up on Tenn. Tenn was his family, he couldn't just leave him behind.

AJ decided otherwise.

Tenn falls forward, blood spurting out of the hole in his neck. Louis let's go of his shoulders in shock, stumbling back and away from the spray of blood. Tenn has a hand to the hole in his neck, trying fruitlessly to stop the blood that poured out, looking over to AJ in betrayal.

"No! No!" Louis crys, refusing to believe that it was Tenn on the floor, flesh being ripped apart by the walkers that had forced him down. 

"Louis, Jump!"

Clementines desperate cry is enough to force his gaze away, overcome with sorrow as he launches himself over to them. He remains kneeled once he lands, chest heaving with heavy breaths as a familiar anger surfaces, turning to AJ with teeth bared in a snarl.

"What the fuck?!" He demands, watching as AJ turns to him with a look of confliction.  
"How could you just shoot him like that?!"

"I had to! You'd never see your skylight if I didn't!" AJ yells back, voice cracking in grief.

"My skylight?"

"I did it for you."

Did it for him? For him? In what world would shooting Tenn be acceptable for him!

"Tenns dead! He's DEAD! Do you realise that? Look!"

He grabs AJ by the shoulders, turning him roughly in Tenns direction. AJ needed to see it, see what he had done. He had to understand that Tenn was gone because of him, that he would never come back.

"He's... He's gone. Because of you. Just fucking gone." He spits, rage mixing with sorrow as the walkers continued to feast.

"AJ saved your life Louis! Tenn was gonna get you killed"

Clementine breaks her own silence on the matter, jumping to AJ's defence. He looks over to her in disbelief. She couldn't really think this was okay? That AJ was in the right to just take Tenns life like that?

"So what, we just cut him loose? Gun him down like he was nothing?"

"I didn't want to shoot him!" AJ responds angrily, fists clenched by his side as he turns to address Louis.  
"He was my first real friend! But he was messing up again, just like when he got Mitch killed. So I had to decide... Clem said I could, so, I did."

"Tenn..." Louis whispers, all three turning to look at Tenn one last time.

The walkers give them no time to grieve, emerging into the clearance behind them, groaning and gurgling at the sight of fresh meat.

"We gotta move" Clementine states the obvious, leaning heavily on the axe to push herself up.

Louis' eyes dart across their surroundings, searching for an escape route. He sprints to the road ahead, coming to an arubt stop when he sees its blocked by abondoned cars, an endless amount of walkers spilling from the gaps between them.

"The walkers are gonna trap us!" AJ warned, coming to a stop next to Louis, waiting for Clementine to catch up.

He spy's the fence next to the road, rushing over and grabbing the chainlink of the fence, turning to make sure Clementine and AJ were following. While he could make the climb easily, the height might provide difficult for AJ, and Clementine was going to struggle immensely with her leg.

There wasn't any other way, though.

"Uh... I'll--I'll climb over first, then help you climb down the other side." He rambles in a panic, pulling himself up and over the fence, landing on the other side and turning to face them.  
"Come on, almost there!"

Clementines eyes slide to something behind him, eyes widening as she was gripped by terror.

"Louis!"

He whirls round to face what had panicked her, greeted by the sight of even more walkers that had been hiding among the trees.

"Oh, fuck!"

With no weapon to use, he kicks at the walkers leg to incapacitate the lumbering creature, backing up against the fence as the others advance towards him.

"Oh, come on!"

"Clem, look out!"

His stomach clenches at the sound of another gun shot, peering over his shoulder, relieved to see AJ had only fired the gun to take out a walker that had snuck up on Clementine.

"Damn it, there are too many!" He shouts, seeing no way to help them over before the walkers caught up to them.

"Go! We'll find another way!"

Go? He couldnt just leave them! He had just got them back, he wasn't going to abondon them again!

"What about you?! You're trapped!"

"We'll make it! Go!"

She's looking straight at him, begging him to leave. He knows full well that if their roles were reversed, if she was the one refusing to leave, he would be begging her to go, too.

He nods reluctantly, trusting her to get herself and AJ out of the situation. He forces himself to turn away from them, ducking under a walkers outstretched arm as he takes off into the forest, hating each step that took him further and further away.

Twigs and branches whip at his legs and arms as he pushes his way through the undergrowth, the sounds of the walkers quietening as he runs further and further away. His lungs are burning with the effort, but he can't stop, because he knows if he does, he'll just turn around and run right back to her.

Instead he furiously wipes away the tears that threatened to spill over as he runs, jaw chattering from the cold air of the night and the grief that was overwhelming him, choking on his own sobs as he struggled to be breathe clearly.

_Please. Please, let them live. Because I don't know how I can without her with me._


	16. Chapter 16

He couldn't run forever, of course. Stamina was never his strongest point, even back before the apocalypse. It was something his baseball coach would always chastise him for, whenever he would miraculously strike the ball, but would struggle to make it all the way back to home plate.

He slowed down his pace when his legs were screaming at him to stop, sucking in large gulps of air that he so desperately needed.

Shit, how long had he been out here? It certainly hadn't felt like the whole night, even with the whole boat fiasco.

He should be feeling relieved when he sees the school come into view. Happy, perhaps. _Something_. But... He doesn't. There's nothing. Just this empty, numb feeling that threatens to swallow him whole, sinking its tendrils into every fibre of his being and refusing to ever let go.

The school itself echoes this feeling. It's unusually silent, not a soul in sight, as if everyone was just gone. As if they had all died, or abondened him. He knows its his sleep deprived brain making this shit up, that everyone's probably just headed to bed for a night of well deserved rest.

Doesn't shake the feeling off of him, though.

It's only natural he finds himself in the music room once again. Trying to sleep would be pointless. Even if he didn't spend the whole time worrying about Clementine and AJ, there was no way he would find sleep when the only thing he could see when he closed his eyes is the bullet tearing through Tenns neck, hear the sickening sound of flesh ripping and tearing as it was stripped away.

So, he does what he does anytime he struggles to find peace. He plays.

At least, he tries.

There was only one song that would bring him some semblance of calm right now. Clementines song starts as his fingers move, the sound as elegant as she was.

That is, until he goes to press a key with his little finger, unable to reach it as he usually could, missing the note entirely and ruining the tempo of the song.

He grinds his teeth in frustration, lifting his hands away from the piano and leaning back as he sighs before he leans forward again, resting his face in his hands.

"Fucking useless finger..." He mutters miserably. 

"I had a feeling I'd find you in here"

He sluggishly lifts his head from his hands, looking over at the sound of Violets voice. She was leaning against the doorway to the room, arms crossed and a concerned expression on her face.

"Don't hit me for this, but, uh... How did you know it was me?"

Violet snorts at his answer, pushing herself off the doorframe and cautiously making her way over to him, arm outstretched to make sure she doesn't bump into anything.

Louis rushes to his feet, darting over and gently grabbing her arm, guiding her over to the piano. He sits her down first, making sure she couldn't slip off accidently before sitting down himself.

"Sorry if I woke you..." He apologises guilty, rubbing the back of his neck.

Violet shakes her head at this before answering.

"No, no it's fine. I couldn't really sleep anyway."

"Seriously, how _did_ you know it was me?" He asks again, waiting for the incoming punch.

"There's only one person in this whole school who can play piano"

"Aw, thanks Vi-"

"- _that_ badly."

That... That hurt way more than any punch would.

"Is it safe for you to be walking around on your own?" He asks cautiously.

Violet sighs, the sound slightly irritated as she looks away from him.

"I've already been scolded by Ruby, don't tell me you're gonna start now."

"But-"

"I don't want to become useless."

He snaps his mouth shut at her broken confession, seeing the way her face scrunched in frustration.

"I'm not stupid, Louis. Without my sight, there's not much I can do around here, no way for me to supply the group, defend the group. Nothing..."

"Vi..."

"I'm not giving up just yet, though. Ruby says my eyes might heal? Then I'll hold onto that hope. But until then, that's all it is. Hope.  
So, I decided I'll start adjusting as soon as I can. I'm definitely no use to anyone if I can't even walk around the school without bumping into doors that _someone_ had left open."

"Did... Did you walk into-"

"Yes. Four times."

Laughing feels like a rude thing to do, but he just can't help it. It starts off as a snort that escapes him, developing into a full body laughter that has him struggling to breathe. The sound proves to be too contagious for Violet who joins in, laughing at her own misery.

"You should do the same" Violet comments when their laughter final dies down.

"What? Walk into doors?"

She does hit him this time, a very painful punch to his shoulder, especially for a girl her size.

"Ow!"

"No, you ass! Playing the piano"

"But I know how to play the the piano?" He responds in confusion, rubbing his sore arm.

"No, you knew how to play piano with ten fingers. Now, you have nine."

"Actually, I think you'll find I have 7 fingers and two thumbs, thank you."

"Seriously, Louis. Playing the piano, it's... It's part of what makes you, you. The earlier you get used to playing without that finger, the better you'll feel."

Louis listens to her advice, turning back to the piano and begins playing again. It's no surprise he starts with Clementines song once again, wanting to make it the first song he can play perfectly without his finger.

It doesn't take long to reach the part he had messed up on, focusing on pushing down further and harder to reach the note with what was left of his finger. He smiles to himself, victorious when the note plays, joining the others as they harmonise into the song.

"Thats a new one." Violet comments beside him, listening as he played.

"Yeah... Yeah I wrote it..."

"Does it have a name?"

His playing comes to a stop, squeezing his eyes shut, the question making it feel like someone was crushing his heart.

"Clementine"

Violet falls silent in understanding, raising an arm to wrap it round his shoulders.

"It's beautiful" She compliments quietly

"Not as beautiful as her"

Violet smiles sweetly at his comment, inhaling deeply.

"Somethings wrong, isn't it?"

Understatement right there...

"I'm so sorry, Vi..." He gets out weakly, voice thick with tears.

Violet tenses next to him, slipping her arm from his shoulders and grabbing onto his arms.

"Louis, what happened?" She asks sternly, eyes struggling to focus on his face.

How... How could he even begin to explain what happened?

"It all happened so fast... I... I found Clementine, AJ and Tenn. We were heading home, we took that bridge as a shortcut, and then Minnie-"

"Minnie? She... She's still alive?"

"God, Vi. She... I don't even know _what_ she was back on that bridge. She was dying, and she knew it. So... So she wanted to take Tenn with her."

"What?!"

"There was this _huge_ herd behind her. She had led them all the way to us. She wanted to kill us, Vi. That's when..."

"When what, Louis?" Violet snaps, frustrated by his hesitancy.

"I don't even know how it all happened... Minnie had shoved me to the floor, then all of a sudden Clementine is screaming in pain, her leg split open... I didn't even _do_ anything, just sat there frozen like an idiot...  
Next thing I know, Clem shot her and... And Minnie fell into the pack of walkers... "

Violet is silent next to him, staring bleakly down at the piano as she absorbs his words. He takes a deep breath of air, unprepared for what he has to say next.

"Tenn he... He couldn't let Minnie go. I don't even know how to explain it, Vi. It was like he _wanted_ to die."

"Louis, what are you saying?"

Tears are silently streaming down his face now, not even bothering to wipe them away, knowing Violet is unable to see them.

"I tried to pull him away. Honestly, Vi, I... I really _fucking_ tried." His frustration boils over, taking it out by slamming his hands down onto the piano. The loud sound startled Violet slightly, face turning panicked at his outburst.  
"Tenn, he... He was fighting me off, wouldn't stop trying to reach her. Thats when AJ shot him."

"No..."

"I'm so sorry, Vi. I'm so-".

"No!"

Violet stands arubtly, fingers scrunching in her hair as she shakes her head furiously at his words.

"Vi-"

"No!"

Tears are still pouring down his face, approaching Violet and attempting to envolep her in a comforting hug. She doesn't accept it, struggling to force her way out of his hold.

"Get the fuck off me!" She yells, freeing her own arms to beat at his chest. The pain doesn't bother him, not when he knew she needed this. Not when the pain he was feeling inside was much, much worse.

"Get! Off..." Her words trail off, breaking down into sobs. She gives in to his hold, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing freely into his chest.

He knows he should be saying all the cliche phrases right now. Things like; _'I know how you're feeling_ , or;' _It'll all be okay_ '. But, they all just sound like lies. He doesn't know how Violet is feeling, not without being her. And he certainly doesn't know that it'll all be okay, not right now at least.

Instead, he holds her. For as long as she needs. Because quite honestly, he needed this hug as much as she does right now.

"Why... Why did AJ shoot him?" She asks weakly, sobs beggining to subside.

"It was... He said he did it for me. I didn't get what he was saying at first, but... But Clem said he did it to save my life."

"And... And did he? Did killing Tenn save your life?"

"I don't really know...The whole thing was just such a mess, but I mean... Maybe?"

Violet sighs, pushing herself gently away from him, reaching to rub at her eyes but dropping her hands in frustration when she's just met with the gauze wrapped around her head.

"God, Tenn... I can't believe he's gone. And Minnie... She..."

"I know..."

Violet nods sadly, looking down to the floor. She lifts her head back up, eyebrows scrunching in confusion.

"Wait, so... Where's Clem? And AJ?"

"They, uh... Fuck..."

"Louis?"

"There was so many damn walkers... We couldn't take the road because of them, so I hopped over a fence to escape them. There was more on the other side, Clem told me to just run and... And I did... Why did I run? Why did I suggest we take that fucking bridge back home..."

"There was no way you could have known what was going to happen."

"Yeah, but still, I-"

"And I know you don't want to hear it, but running was the right thing to do."

"What? How?"

"If you had stayed, tried to fight off those walkers? You would have gotten yourself bit. And I know damn well Clementine would have fought tooth and nail to get you out, injured leg or not. And if Clem was staying to fight? Well, AJ certainly wouldn't leave her side.  
Don't you see? If you had stayed, things could have gone so much worse. Running gave them the best chance of escaping themselves."

Louis shuts his eyes, taking in her words. Maybe she was right? After all, he doesn't actually know what happened to Clem out there. Hell, she could be walking, or, uh, limping through those gates right this moment, AJ in tow.

"Thanks, Vi. I think I'm going to go on watch, wait for them to get back home."

Violet smiles at this, standing from the piano.

"Do you need-"

"So help me God, if you ask me if I need help"

He chuckles, shaking his head as he stands with her, the two of them heading out of the music room side by side.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Violet had joined him for a small while, mostly to keep him company. He advised her (definitely did _not_ command her) to get some sleep after she yawned for what seemed like the hundredth time in the space of ten minutes. She caved in to her own exhaustion, leaving him with a sarcastic ' _not like I'm doing much fucking watching anyway'_.

His eyes were fixated on the distance, watching hopefully for their return. Every minute that ticked by was agony, jumping at every small movement that he thinks is them returning, only to be disappointed when he realises its a lone walker that had ambled in the schools direction.

The floor of the watch tower shakes beneath his feet, indicating someone was climbing the ladder to join him. Sure enough, Aasims head pops up, hoisting himself up over the edge and walking to stand next to Louis.

"Hey" Aasim greets him.

"Hey"

"Not like you to be taking up an early morning watch shift. Sun isn't even up yet. What's up?"

Aasim is watching him, but he refuses to look away from the trees, still desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

"Just... Just waiting."

"Violet told everyone. About... About what happened."

He finally glances over at this, seeing the dark circles under Aasims eye, slightly puffed and red. Aasim looks away shamefully, as if embarrassed to be seen in such a state.

"How's Omar?" Louis asks, wanting to distract himself slightly.

"Much better, actually. The raiders actually did an okay job bandaging him up. Guess they didn't want crippled soldiers."

Louis raises a sarcastic eyebrow at this, lifting his hand to show off his newly bandaged finger.

"Oh, uh... Guess there's always an exception..."

Louis huffs, dropping his hand back down and turning to watch over the forest again.

"Anyway.. Ruby fixed him up great, as always. Omar say it still hurts like a bitch, but he's actually able to walk on it. Should be back to normal in no time."

Normal... What even was normal, in this world?

Aasim looks back over to Louis, unsettled by his uncharacteristic quietness.

"I meant what I said, back in the cage. This is Clem. She'll make it out of there, she'll get back to us."

Louis sighs in annoyance, turning to face Aasim, back to the forest behind him.

"But we don't _know_ that. No one wants to believe that more than me, trust me. But you didn't see the amount of walkers that was there, you didn't see how much she was struggling. I just don't know-"

"LOUIS! SOMEONE! PLEASE!"

He freezes, heart stuttering at the sound of AJ's panicked cries for help. Aasim is staring wide eyed at what's behind him, mouth agape in shock.

He doesn't even bother to look, practically falling down the ladder as he rushes down it, slamming into the schools gate with his shoulder and sprinting in the direction of the shouts.

"LOUIS!"

AJ voice cracks from the volume, sounding as if he had been crying for a while, or perhaps was on the verge of tears. This does nothing to comfort him, fearing the worst had happened.

"I'm here, AJ! What-"

Nothing had prepared him for this.

AJs face was soaked in tears and his clothes covered in walker guts, the poor boy trembling as he struggled to catch his breath.

At first he wondered why the hell AJ was carting round a walker in a wheelbarrow, for surely no one with skin so pale, with so much blood splattered on their clothing could still be alive?

But their chest was rising as they breathed, not often, but still there, some sign of life to this person. But it wasn't just any person.

It was her

It was his darling.

It was his light.

"Clementine?" He barely gets out, stumbling towards the wheelbarrow.  
"What..."

"I had to!" AJ cries, pleading for him to understand.  
"She got bit and I didnt know what to do! She told me to kill her but I couldnt, I couldn't! I didn't even know if it would work, but I didn't have a choice, I had to chop her leg!"

Her leg?

He blanches, looking down to her near still form. He wasn't too sure how he had missed it, but the entire lower half of her left leg was gone. AJ had haphazardly tied some rope around the severed limb, and he could just about make out the smell of burning flesh.

"She passed out, and now she won't wake up! I don't know what to do!"

Louis rushes forward, pulling Clementine out of the wheelbarrow and holds her close to him, turning to address AJ.

"You did great, little man. But we have to go, now"

AJ nods enthusiastically, tiny legs struggling to match Louis' pace as they sprint back to the school, giving extra care not to jolt Clementine too much as he runs.

Aasim had already rushed inside to get Ruby, the red head frantically making her way over to greet them at the gates.

"Oh, my god!" She shouts when they get close, eyes fixated on Clems missing leg.

"What do we do?"

"Get her to her room, we need to wrap that wound up as quick as we can. Gosh, she's so pale..."

The night they talked about Lee flashes in his mind as he runs to the dormitories, of how pale she had said Lee was, right before she lost him.  
But that wasn't going to happen. He wouldn't _let_ it happen. She was going to pull through.

Ruby gasps in surprise when he kicks the room door open, rushing inside with Ruby, Aasim, AJ and Willy not too far behind. He lowers her gently to the bed, heart pounding in fear as he watches her breaths seemingly slow down.

"Alright, everyone out!"

"What?!" He and AJ shout at the same time.

"I only need one person helping me, too many people and you might get in my way"

"Then I'll-" Louis starts

"No, not you, and not AJ. If you two are here you'll be panicking and fretting over her, and that will make this much more difficult. Aasim will help me, the others, out!"

"But-"

"Out!"

She forces them all backwards and out of the room, closing the door in his face.  
He closes his eyes, leaning forward to rest his head against her bedroom door as he had done those few weeks ago, though this time for different reasons.

"Louis?" AJ asks timidly, scared by his reaction

"Hey, AJ... Um... Can you... Can you help me with something?" Willy asks, trying to distract AJ

"What is it?"

"I... I just thought you might wanna help me with making Tenns cross... Tenn used to make them, but, uh..."

AJ flinches at Tenns name, looking to the shut door in front of him then back to Willy.

"Yeah... Yeah, okay..."

AJ leaves somewhat reluctantly, throwing one last sad glance at Louis as he goes.

He would have to thank Willy later. He wasn't too sure how he would have been able to calm AJ down when he was in this state.

God, Clementine... She really didn't look good. There was practically no color to her face, she must have lost so much blood. That wasn't even the biggest problem...

AJ had said she was bit. It was the reason he had removed her leg, after all. But that didn't guarantee she was safe from turning. As far as he was aware, a bite was practically a death sentence. The only person he had seen survive it was the thief raider, Abel. He had no idea how quickly after the bite Abel had removed his arm, and didn't know how soon after Clem had been bit did AJ chop off her leg. AJ may have been too late.

He turns from the door, leaning back and sliding down until he reached the floor, legs bent in front of him. He raised a hand to cover his mouth, attempting to stifle the sobs that escaped him.

"Louis? Is that you?"

He looks up through his teary vision to see Violet cautiously navigating the hallway, arm stretched out and tracing the wall next to her.

"Yeah, I'm here" He tells her, voice croaky as he reaches out his own hand to stop her walking into him.

She doesn't question why he's on the floor at first, instead taking a seat next to him on the floor. He smiles gratefully, despite knowing she can't see it.

"You wanna tell me why we're on the floor?"

"It's Clem"

The weight of the situation hits him full force, breath catching in his throat at the thought of Clementine just on the other side of the door he was leaning on, teetering on the edge of life.

"What happened?"

"She got bit, Vi."

Violet closes her eye, leaning her head against the wall behind her.

"Shit"

"AJ chopped off her leg. I don't know how soon after, but... God, Vi. You should have seen the state of her... She was so _pale_."

Violets lip quivers, fighting off her own tears at the anguish in Louis' voice as he spoke.

"Ruby's helping her now, but... I don't know, Vi.. I don't know what I'm going to do if..."

He's unable to finish his sentence, tears stinging in his eyes and lungs burning, his throat closing up as he tried to force the words out. His chest heaves, silent tears slowly turning to sobs.

Violet is sniffling next to him, shedding her own tears. She shifts slightly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him towards her.

"I'm sorry, Lou."

He smiles through his tears, rarely hearing the nickname from Violet.

"I think I love her" He admits, both to Violet and himself.

Violet doesnt act as shocked as he had expected. She doesn't act shocked at all, really. In fact, she's the one who shocks him.

"Yeah, I know."

"You... You do?"

"You're not exactly good at hiding how you feel. It's written all over your face whenever you're with her. I'd be suprised if she hadn't figured it out herself."

This gets a laugh out of him, shaking his head and burying his face in his hands in embarrassment.

"You're probably right" He mutters, lifting his head back up and pushing his dreads from his face.  
"Its just... What if I never get to tell her?

Violet opens her mouth to answer, but is interrupted by panicked yelling coming from within the room, footsteps pounding around. His heart sinks, looking to Violet with wide eyes.

"Go" She tells him

He scrambles to his feet, throwing the door open, practically falling over the doorway. Medical supplies are strewn across the room, some being flung to the floor in a panic. Clementines leg is hanging off the end of the bed, partly wrapped up in gauze, small patches of blood staining through. Aasim is standing by Clementines bedside, looking anxious whilst Ruby is leaning over Clementine, fingers pressed against her neck and head hovering over face, listening carefully.

"I can't find a pulse, and she's not breathing. We're losing her." Ruby tells Aasim, beginning chest compressions.

 

No... 

No... 

"No!"

They hadn't noticed he had entered, startled by his distressed yell. Aasim and Ruby look to one another, having a silent conversation with just their eyes. Aasim rushes over, grabbing ahold of Louis when he tries to get closer.

"Let me help, please!" He begs, trying to squirm out of Aasims hold.

Ruby is trying to resuscitate Clem desperately, forcing her hands down firmly on her chest again and again and again. She pauses every now and then, tilting Clementines head back to breathe air into her lungs, two puffs, then returning to the compressions.

"Please..." He begs weakly, trying to reach out to her.

"I know, man. I know." Aasim reassures him, sounding as broken as he was.

"I can't... I don't..."

His legs give in, sinking down to the floor. Aasim tries to hold him up for a bit, but eventually drops down with him. Aasims arms are firm around him, yet trembling.

"I need her... She's my everything."

Aasims breath hitches at his words as Louis can do nothing but sob from the floor.

"C'mon, Clem. C'mon. Breathe... Breathe..." Aasim whispers, gentle puffs of air tickling his ear as he begs to whoever is listening.

This was dangerous. If Clem was... If she was truly gone, then she could be turning at this very moment. Ruby would be in real danger.

Ruby isn't giving up though, eyes fixated on Clem as she continues her compressions, pushing down hard. A stupid part of him worries Clems ribs will break under the immense pressure, as if that would matter when she's laying right there, heart no longer beating, lungs no longer taking in air.

Then it happens.

Clementine inhales, a deep, long breath of air that fills her lungs. Ruby stops, leaning back in shock for a moment before her nurse mode kicks back in, fingers searching urgently at Clementines neck.

"There's a pulse!" Ruby declares, the tears she had been holding back as she worked now flowing freely.

Suddenly, he can breathe again, as if his body wouldn't let him until she did. Aasim is laughing next to him, a chuckle of relief as he releases his hold.

"We're not out of danger yet." Ruby tells them, picking up the gauze she had dropped.  
"She's still very weak. She's lost a lot of blood, and that fever is going to take its toll."

"So...so what do we do?" He asks, tearing his gaze from Clementine to meet Ruby's. 

"Other than finish up wrapping up her leg and making sure it doesn't get infected? There's nothing you can do but wait."

"Just wait? There's really nothing else we can do?"

"We have to give her body time to heal. The antibiotics will help, but... But this is her fight."

Louis pushes himself up from the floor, walking over to Clementines side then dropping back to his knees next to her. She was still unconscious, though he could see her chest steadily rising with each breath.

Ruby glances anxiously at Aasim, who signals to the door. She nods, turning back to Louis.

"I'll back back in a bit to check up on her, but, uh... I'll give you a minute."

He hears the door slowly creak open, footsteps shuffling as the two exit, then the door slowly close again. The chaos of the room had come to a halt, nothing but the sound of their own gentle breathing and his still pounding heart.

He does nothing but watch her sleeping form for a bit, unsure of what to do or what to say. His hand reaches out before he can even think about, delicately holding her own in his. They were so _small_ , dwarfed by his own hands as they wrapped around them.

"I really thought I had lost you, Clem" He whispers into the room, startlingly loud compared to the quiet that had envolped it.  
"And you know what the scariest part is? In that moment, I wanted to be gone too. Wanted to join you. I never thought I would meet someone who could change me like that, someone who..."

He trails off, shaking his head and blinking furiously to fight the tears that threatened to resurface, resting his head on their joined hands.

"Someone who isn't afraid to fight back when they're threatened, when their family is threatened. Someone who can be ruthless in this already harsh world. And yet, also someone who can be _kind_ , can push all that aside to show her softer side that she so often tried to hide.  
Someone who made it so I didn't have to make my own happiness, but gave it to me.  
Someone who... Someone who I could fall in love with. Because I _do_ , Clem. God help me, I really do. And I need to say it because I don't know if I'll ever get the chance again."

Louis raises his head, eyes swimming with unshed tears as he looks at her. It was the most peaceful he had even seen her, not an ounce of worry on her face as she slept. He wanted to give that life to her, the kind where she could sleep without fear, without having to stress about those she cared about, the life that Lee thought he could provide her with.

He didn't know if it was possible. But he sure as hell was going to try.

It would be worth it, so long as he could see her smile.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Clem. My guess is no... " He cuts himself off with a chuckle, watching her face for any signs of a reaction.  
"But I meant what I said, when I thought you were gone. And I need you to know that. To know how important you are to me."

The sun had finally crested the horizon, sunlight lazily pouring into the room, bathing the two of them in an ethereal glow. He smiles at the light that pours in, not only taking away the darkness in the room, but the darkness that had sunk into him, ever since he had left her.

"You're my everything"


	17. Chapter 17

People would flutter in from time to time. AJ was the most frequent visitor, besides him of course, spending hours sat with Louis by Clementines side, waiting for her to wake up. The others would do the same, though not as often, and partly to check on _him_ as well.

It wasn't some movie cliche where he was sat by her bed _all_ the time. If Clementine woke up and found out he had skipped on his duties to watch her, she would most definitely kick his ass.

So he fell into the motions. He would wake up and get breakfast, sitting by Clementines side as he ate. If he had hunting or lookout duty, he would do it just as he did before. The only difference now is when he returned, he wouldn't be lounging by the fire or practicing the piano. He was here, sat by her side, talking about nothing, not even knowing if she heard a word he was saying.

It was all he could do to cope. Pretend like everything was fine.

It wasn't hopeless, of course. Everytime Ruby came to check on her, she would give encouraging signs that Clem was recovering. The color had been steadily returning to her face over the past days, and her high temperature had dropped significantly, almost back to normal. She was _fighting_ , she just had to wake up.

The door swings open out of the corner of his eye, Ruby making her way over to where he sat with a warm smile.

"Hey, hon. Just coming to check her bandages."

He smiles in return, standing from the bedside and stepping away to give Ruby room. He strolls over to the gramaphone he had dragged in earlier that day, leaning against the bookcase next to it as he watched Ruby work.

"How is it?" He asks, peering over Ruby's shoulder as she cautiously peels away the gauze.

"A lot better. No signs of an infection developing from what I can see, and the skin around it is beginning to heal and close up the wound. Will still take some time of course, but it's getting better."

"When do you think she'll wake up?"

Ruby sighs as she re-bandages the stump, changing out the old gauze for new gauze.

"I really don't know, Louis. Hopefully soon, but we don't want to rush this. If her body decides it's best for her to remain out while she's healing, then that's what'll happen. Frankly, its a miracle she's alive. If AJ hadn't cauterised that wound and tied it off...This would be a whole different story. "

Ruby stands from her work, turning to face Louis. She catches sight of the gramophone he's next to, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Fancied some music?" She asks with a smile

"Something like that"

It wasnt something like that.

It was too embarrassing to tell, really. He had just gotten this idea, might have been from a book he was reading, that familiar music might help wake her up. So he had dragged the gramophone all the way to her room, idea in mind and hope in his body.

"Well, I've got lookout duty. I'll leave you to it." She tells him kindly, heading towards the door and down the dormitory halls.

He waits until its all clear before pulling the record out of his coat, waking over to the gramophone and placing the record down. He cranks the handle, releases and steps back.

The song that played when they first danced together fills the room, bringing a small smile to his lips. He listens for a few moments before walking over to Clementines side, sitting down in the chair he had pulled from the basement and grabbing hold of her hand.

"Hey, Clem. It's been a few days since you've been out and... Uh... Shit. I just really miss you." He confesses, taking a deep breath before he continues.  
"Thought you might like some music. I find that the silence can get a bit unnerving, probably why I can never stop talking...  
Everyone can't wait to see you up and about. Because you will be. Even without that leg, I know you'll do it. AJ's already talking to Willy about making you a new foot" He chuckles at the end of his sentence, imagining the two boys working away to fashion a new foot out of the little supplies they had.

Their song continues in the background, quiet and soothing. He can hear its coming to the end now, reminding him of the end of their dance.

"You remember our dance? We'll do it again. We'll dance again. Even if I have to carry you the whole time."

There's a tentative knock on the door, opening to reveal Violet on the other side.

"How's she doing?" Violet asks, remaining by the entrance to the room.

"Same as usual."

"Still nothing?"

"Still nothing."

Violet sighs sadly, leaning against the doorframe.

"Any incidents on your way here?" He asks with a teasing grin, Violet glaring from where she stands.

"Only one. I tripped over Rosie on the way in"

"I mean, I do that anyway, and _I_ can see. As far as I'm concerned, that's a victory."

Violet snorts, shaking her head at his attempts to cheer her up. The smile quickly falls from her face though, looking around the room in uncertainty.

"I... Uh... I actually came to get you for Tenns funeral. I know you wanted to wait till Clem woke up, but..."

"Its okay, Vi. I get it. Its not fair to leave it so late."

Violet smiles gratefully, turning away and out of the room. Louis stands, leaning over to plant a kiss on Clementines forehead, brushing away the curls that had fallen over her face.

"I'll say goodbye to Tenn for you."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had already dug the hole when he reached the schools graveyard. Without Tenns body, they opted to do what they had done for Minnie and Sophie, taking a few of his belongings and placing it in the grave.

They had waited for him and Violet to arrive before placing the cross, however. AJ was holding it close, the cross clearly constructed by hands that hadn't done it before, but still made with care, _Tennessee_ spelled out across the wood.

AJ lifts the cross to offer it to Louis, but Louis simply places a hand on the cross and pushes it back towards AJ, shaking his head softly.

"You do the honors, AJ."

AJ looks nervous to be handed such a responsibility, but heads over towards Tenns grave anyway. He pauses as he reaches it, staring down into the freshly dug hole before planting the cross down firmly, wiggling it into place. Satisfied, he steps back to join Louis' side.

No one is saying a word, everyone glancing at one another anxiously to figure out who should say what first. Willy surprises him by stepping forward slightly, clearing his throat.

"Tenn...I'm sorry. For all the things I said before. I shouldn't have said them, I didn't really mean them. I just... I just couldn't see past my anger at the time. I hope you're at peace, Tenn. I really do."

Violet is stiff as a board next to him, staring down at Tenns grave blankly.

"Vi? Anything you wanna say?" He asks gently.

Violet opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. She shuts her mouth closed and shakes her head, frustrated at herself. Violet turns away, refusing to let the others see as she tries to compose herself.

Louis takes over for her, stepping forward towards Tenns grave. It's odd, seeing it just there in front of him. It shouldn't be there. It shouldn't have been Tenn.

"Tenn was... Tenn was a lot of things. He was an artist, always able to draw up a picture that could make you smile, even in the most grey of days. He was an optimist, able to see the good in every person he met, even when they may do the wrong thing."

AJ fidgets nervously next to him, guilt clawing its way to the front.

"Most importantly? You were family. You were one of us. The world just got a little bit darker without you Tenn, but your memory will help guide us through.  
I hope you found that better place you always wanted, Tenn. I hope Minnie and Sophie are there with you, and that they've found their own peace.  
We'll miss you, buddy."

Willy and Ruby were crying openly, sniffling and rubbing at their eyes with their sleeves. Aasim has a comforting arm thrown around Ruby's shoulder, putting on a brave face but struggling to fight off the tears that were pooling in his eyes.

Violet was trying to wipe the tears as they fall, but they seemed never ending, making her efforts useless. AJ isn't making a sound, tears streaming down his face, not even bothering to try and wipe them away, drops falling into the ground, absorbed into the soil.

Louis looks up the sky, the horizon steadily darkening as the sun began to set. It was like a canvas, a breath taking mix of colors just above them, muted reds and oranges bleeding into the deep purple of the night sky. Louis smiles, the sight bringing him comfort.

It was a painters sky, and Tenn had painted for them tonight.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The chair beneath him creaked as he leant back, rubbing a tired hand down his face. Clementine remained asleep on the bed beside him, as she had for the past few days.

"Can I come in?"

He turns in the chair to face the door. AJ is stood with his hand on the doorknob, looking slightly nervous.

"Of course you can, bud. It's your room, I'm the one intervening."

AJ quickly makes his way over to him, standing by Clementines bedside. Louis looks down at him with a smile once he comes to a stop.

"You want the chair little man?"

"No, that's okay. I'll just stand."

"No, no, I insist. Take the chair, I've been sat here for a while."

"I don't want to make you stand" AJ refuses, looking from Clementine to him.

"Well then, guess we'll just have to compromise."

"Compromise? What does that - hey!"

AJ shouts in alarm as Louis leans over to grab him under his arms, lifting him up and placing him down on his lap, laughing loudly into the room at AJ's startled squeak.

AJ crosses his arms once he's settled, huffing in irritation at being lifted up into the air without permission.

"I'm not a little kid you know"

"AJ, you're like, six at most"

"So?"

"So you're a little kid."

"I'm not little!"

"You're smaller than me. That makes you a little kid."

"Clem's smaller than you! Does that make her a little kid?"

"No, that makes her my darling."

"She... What?"

He laughs at AJs confused tone, the rumble of his chuckles forcing AJ into his own fit of giggles. Its a precious sound, high pitched and child like, something you don't hear often in this world.

AJ's giggle eventually dies down, a comfortable silence returning to the room as the two watch Clementine as she breathes softly, caught in a peaceful sleep.

"Do you think she'll wake up soon?" AJ asks innocently, craning his neck to face Louis behind him.

Louis forces a smile to his face, ruffling his hands through the younger boys afro fondly. The sky outside had darkened considerably, signaling it was time for him to get AJ into bed.

"You betcha' kiddo. In fact, I have a feeling that she'll be up by tomorrow. And my gut feelings are _never_ wrong."

"Really?"

"You bet! How about you head to bed, then it'll be morning before you know it."

AJ nods reluctantly, climbing down from Louis' lap and walking over to the bed opposite, clambering in and pulling the covers over himself.

Louis stands from the chair, kissing Clems forehead goodnight as he usually does before making his way over to the door.

"Louis?" Comes AJ's voice from amidst the covers.

"Yeah?"

"Could you... Could you stay? Please? I dont like sleeping on my own..."

"What are you taking about? You've got Clem, haven't you?"

AJ rolls onto his side, facing the bed opposite and looking to Clementine sadly.

"You know what I mean..." AJ mumbled quietly.

Louis sighs, releasing his hold from the doorknob and making his way back over to AJ, crouching down to face the younger boy.

"Please?" AJ pleads again, seemingly staring into his soul.

"Sure thing, kiddo. I'll take the bunk up top, okay?"

AJs hand darts out, grabbing onto his wrist to stop Louis from walking away. He's looking everywhere but at Louis, refusing to meet his gaze, seemingly embarrassed by something.

"I... I was wondering if... Nevermind, it's stupid..."

"It's okay, AJ. You can ask me." He tells him, smiling in the hopes of comforting him.

"Can... Can you maybe...Sleep in my bed? I'm not scared or anything, I just-"

"Hey, hey, hey. Its okay, buddy. I can do that, no problem"

AJ finally lifts his eyes to meet his gaze, nodding slowly before releasing his hold on his wrist, scooting closer to the wall. Louis gets up on the bed gently, laying on his back and staring up at the bunk above him. He feels AJ move closer ever so slightly, tiny fists grabbing onto his trench coat for comfort.

"Thanks, Louis" AJ whispers into the room, curled up by his side.

"No problem, little man."

The silence that follows his words is almost deafening. He doesn't even know how much time passes as he listens to AJ breathe next to him, his breaths gentle but not as slow as Clems, indicating he had yet to fall asleep either.

"Can't sleep?" Louis whispers in asking to AJ.

He can feel AJ shaking his head 'no' next to him, the boy shifting slightly to get more comfortable.

"Do you think you could sing for me?" AJ asks, eyes bright in the darkness.

"Sing? Why?"

"Sometimes, when I had trouble sleeping, or...or I had nightmares, Clem would sing to me. It would always make me feel so much better, and I'd fall asleep right away."

Louis smiles, intrigued by the thought of Clementine singing. Not once had he ever heard her sing. What would her voice be like? Would it be soft and gentle, like Minnie's? Or perhaps it would have a rougher tone? Did she prefer to sing in a higher pitch, or was she more comfortable singing lower?

"Sure, I can sing. Any requests?"

AJs fingers twist in his coat, mindlessly playing with the material between his fingers as he thinks.

"Could you sing the Clementine song? The one with her name in it? You sang it to us back when we first met you."

"Yeah... Yeah, I'd love to sing that one." He responds softly, clearing his throat as quietly as possible, shifting into a more comfortable position to sing.

 _"Oh my darling, oh my darling,_  
_Oh my darling, Clementine,_  
_You are lost and gone forever,_  
_Dreadful sorry, Clementine._

 _In a cavern, in a canyon,_  
_Excavating for a mine,_  
_Dwelt a miner, forty-niner,_  
_And his daughter, Clementine._

 _Oh my darling, oh my darling,_  
_Oh my darling, Clementine,_  
_You are lost and gone forever,_  
_Dreadful sorry, Clementine._

 _Light she was and like a fairy,_  
_And her shoes were number nine,_  
_Herring boxes, without topses,_  
_Sandals were for Clementine._

 _Oh my darling, oh my darling,_  
_Oh my darling, Clementine,_  
_You are lost and gone forever,_  
_Dreadful sorry, Clementine._

 _Drove she ducklings to the water,_  
_Every morning just at nine,_  
_Hit her foot against a splinter,_  
_Fell into the foaming brine."_

Louis opens his eyes as he finishes, unaware he had closed them at some point as he sang. He looks to AJ who seems about half asleep, though is still clinging to consciousness.

"I like that one." AJ comments sleepily, realising Louis was watching him.

"Yeah. Yeah, me too" He tells him, closing his eyes once more, preparing to drift off to sleep.

"I think I've heard it one too many times."

His eyes snap open at the new voice from the other side of the room, whipping his head to the side to see Clementine watching the two fondly.

"CLEM!"

AJs excited yell nearly makes him deaf, having no time to react before AJ is scrambling over him to get to Clementine. Louis grunts in pain as AJs foot digs into his ribs, the young boy pushing himself off of Louis to get to the bed opposite.

His legs don't quite seem to want to work with his brain, attempting to get out of the bed and instead rolling to the floor, landing with a harsh thud and having the wind knocked out of him. He gets up from the floor swiftly, stumbling over his own feet as he rushes over to Clementine.

AJ had already thrown himself at Clem, who had practically disappeared as she was engulfed by AJs hug. AJ pulls back with relieved tears in his eyes, looking to Clementine in wonderment.

"I'm okay, kiddo" She assures him tiredly. She looks exhausted, as if she hadn't just spent the past few days doing nothing but sleeping.

Her eyes slide over to Louis who stands behind AJ, hand on the younger boys shoulder as he watches Clementine with a similar look of awe. She smiles at the sight of him, and it kicks Louis into gear.

He rushes forward, lips colliding roughly with hers. Its clumsy, teeth clashing painfully as Clementine makes a sound of surprise at the sudden contact. It's not the best of kisses, but he doesn't _care_

Clementine and AJ seem to disagree slightly.

"Ow" she mumbles against his lips, raising a hand to his chest to gently push him backwards, amused by the slight look of disappointment on Louis' face as he pulls away.

"Ew" AJ comments from next to him, face scrunched in disgust at the sight of the two.

"How are you feeling?" Louis asks, grasping her hands between his own.

"I don't know... Tired, I guess" Clementine responds, dropping her head back to the pillow behind her. She frowns, noticing their worried looks.  
"How long have I been out?"

"Few days..."

"What!?"

"Do you... Do you remember what happened?"

Her eyebrows scrunch together in concentration as she thinks, turning her head to look at Louis.

"We were on that bridge. Minnie was there and... And I shot her. She fell into the walkers and then AJ-"

Clementine tenses up, her eyes darting from Louis to AJ, finally settling on Louis in sympathy.

"God, I'm so sorry Louis. I'm so sorry about Tenn."

He nods sadly at her, eyes drifting down to their joined hands.

"And after that?" He asks, urging her to continue.

"We were trying to escape the walkers. There was just too many... I was helping AJ up the cliffside and then I... I got bit...But...if I'm bit then... Then how..."

Her eyes widen suddenly, looking down to the blankets that covered her body. Louis has no time to warn her before she rips the blankets off, staring blankly down at the stump that remained.

"I'm sorry, Clem. I didn't know what else to do" AJ apologises quietly next to him, watching Clem take in her missing leg guiltily.

"You would have died if he hadn't done it" Louis adds on quickly, watching in concern as she continues to stare down at her missing leg.

Clementine exhales deeply, falling back to the pillows behind her, closing her eyes as she tries to calm her breathing.

"Its okay. I just.. It'll take some time." She mutters softly. He wasn't too sure if her words were for them or for herself.

She opens her eyes back up, looking over to AJ with a weak smile, reaching out a hand to caress the young boys cheek tenderly.

"Good job, goofball"

AJ beams at her words, delighted she wasn't upset with him. He directs his grin towards Louis, who returns the boys happy smile, relieved to see her finally awake.

"Shit, I should go get Ruby..." He mumbles mostly to himself, chastising himself for forgetting something so important.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it" Clementine interrupts him, stopping him from leaving the room.  
"I'm just tired, is all"

"Right, sorry. I'll just, uh... Head out then?"

"I thought you were staying the night?" AJ asks, confused by Louis' sudden attempts at departure.

"Oh, uh, well... I mean, Clems awake now and all, so..."

This time it's Clementine who reaches out, placing a hand on his arm to stop his rambling. He snaps his mouth shut, looking down to Clementine who's smiling in amusement at his panic.

"You're more than welcome to stay the night, if you want to"

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure"

He smiles at her, feeling the tension drain from his body. He's about to ask if he was still sleeping in AJ's bed when she tugs at his arm, pulling him towards the bed. He raises an eyebrow, another "are you sure?" on his lips that she rolls her eyes at, pulling his arm harder in confirmation.

He pulls himself up onto the bed, taking extra care not to knock into her injured leg as he lays down on his back. Clementine huffs at the sight of him practically falling off the edge of the bed, to which he chuckles quietly and moves closer to her.

He has to resist another laugh when he sees where AJ got his clingy behaviour from, Clementine instinctively curling up into his side for warmth. AJ is doing the same on the other side, once again burying his hands into Louis' trench coat as he settles on the bed.

He pulls his arms free from where they were pinned, wrapping then around the two and sighing softly as he closes his eyes, the first happy smile in a while on his face as he feels himself slowly drift off into sleep.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days seem to be pass by easier now that Clementine was awake, his mind no longer plagued with worry as to if and when she woke up.

Not that the same could be said for Clementine.

He struggles to push open her bedroom door with the two bowls in his hands, cheering quietly in victory when he succeeds. He's greeted by the sight of Clementine laying back on the bed, groaning in annoyance with a pillow on top of her face.

"Uh, you're not trying to suffocate yourself, are you?" He asks sarcastically, placing the two bowls down on the desk next to her.

She yanks the pillow away from her face with an annoyed huff, throwing it to the other side of the bed.

"I think I'm losing my mind. I've been stuck in this bed for _days_ , I need to do something."

Louis gives her sad smile, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

"I know. But you have to stay here and rest, it's-"

"Doctors orders, I know." She finishes for him.

Louis clicks his tongue as he thinks, smiling when an idea comes to mind.

"I have an idea for what might cheer you up"

She raises an inquisitive eyebrow, pushing herself up with her arms into a sitting position. She yelps in pain when her leg brushes against the bed, to which he quickly rushes forward to help pull her up the rest of the way.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." She responds, seeming frustrated with herself.  
"So, what's your idea?"

"As if you need to ask" He replies sarcastically, reaching into his coat pocket to pull out his trusty pack of cards.

She groans the second she gets sight of them, picking the pillow she had thrown back up from the bed.

"I change my mind, I am going to suffocate myself"

"Hey!" He says, unable to stop himself from laughing as he speaks, yanking the pillow out of her hands.  
"I promise it'll be fun."

"All right, I'll hold you to that. What game are we playing?"

"Ever heard of two truths and a lie?" He asks, shifting to sit cross legged in front of her on the bed.

"Can't say I have"

"Its fairly simple. We both take a card from the pack. Lowest card has to say three statements about themselves. Two have to be true, the other is a lie. The highest card has to try and pick out which ones the lie." He explains the rules to her as he shuffles the pack in his hands.  
"I feel like we know each other, but we don't _know_ each other, you get what I mean?"

" I... I really don't."

He smiles, finishing his shuffling and holding out the pack to Clementine. She takes a card from the top deck, flipping it over to show him a nine of spades. He takes his own at random from the pack, flipping his over and showing the four of hearts.

"Well, shit. Guess I go first. Let's see..." He taps his finger against his chin, thinking carefully over what to choose.  
"Hmmm, my favorite color is green, I have absolutely no clue how to cook, and you were my first kiss" He settles on, watching her face for a reaction.

"Easy, I wasn't your first kiss."

How in the... 

"What?! How did you know?"

"Your favorite color being green is pretty easy to guess" She states, pinching his shirt between his fingers with a knowing smile.  
"You probably wouldn't have learnt to cook before you were sent here which is when you were, what, ten? Eleven?  
And you were _much_ too confident in our first kiss for that to have been _your_ first."

"Damn, you're good."

"Tell me something I don't know." Clementine responds smugly, a curious smile on her face.  
"So, who _was_ your first? Someone from the school? Someone I would know?"

The smile slips from his face slightly, awkardky rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, it was someone from the school, and no...no, you wouldn't know them. Her name was Erin. Nothing really happened between us after, was just a spur of the moment kinda thing. She.. Uh... We lost her, not long after."

"I'm sorry, Louis" She tells him sincerely, frowning at the sight of his sadness.  
"I probably shouldn't have asked..."

"No, it's fine. It's the whole point of this game, to get to know eachother." Louis assures her, holding out the deck of cards for her to pick from. She takes one from the deck, and he's about to flip over the one he has himself when he see's she has the king of hearts.

"I'm not even going to bother to look" He tells her, flicking his card over his shoulder.

"Wow, you suck at this"

"Thanks, Clemster"

"Don't call me Clemster"

"Clemmy-clu?"

"Stop it!" She orders with a laugh, throwing the pillow he had discarded half-heartedly at him. He catches it easily, placing it down next to her with a chuckle of his own.

"Alright, I'll stop. Now then..." He leans back slightly, glancing up at the bunk bed above him as he thinks over what to tell.  
"I can play guitar as well as play piano, I once broke my leg on a dare, and my middle name is Alexander"

"Hmm.... This one's tougher...You could easily play guitar, but since there's no guitar in the school I haven't seen you play... So... I'm going to say you didn't break your leg."

"Ah-hah! Gotcha this time time, Clem!" He yells, raising his arms in victory.

"Oh my god, how did you break your leg?"

"It was a few years ago. We were bored and had nothing to do, so Marlon dared me and Violet to race up the bell tower. Violets done it a million times before, so I knew I had to move quick. I misjudged a step and-" Louis lifts his hand into the air, dropping it to the bed as he whistles, lowering in tone as his hand descends.

Clementine has her hands covering her face, shaking with silent laughter at his story.

"Yeah, I, uh, I don't climb the bell tower anymore" He admits, smiling at her laughter.

"You're lucky you didn't die"

"Sure am, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to meet you"

She glares at him for the comment, but the blush he can see appearing on her face tells him everything he needs to know as to how she really felt about what he had said. He shoots her a cheeky smile, holding out the cards once more.

She takes a card from the deck, and he does the same, getting ready to flip the card over.

"Wait." Clementine stops him, frowning in concentration.  
"So what was the lie? The guitar one?"

"Yep. Not that I don't _want_ to learn guitar, just that the school doesn't have one. It would be nice to learn another instrument, give me a bit of a challenge, y'know?"

"So... Your middle name is Alexander?"

He groans at the question, closing his eyes with a dramatic sigh.

"I was kinda hoping you'd skip over that one..."

"Why? Don't you like your middle name?"

"How could you tell?" He asks sarcastically, opening one eye to glance at her.

"Well, I like it. It fits you. Louis Alexander." She responds, smiling as she speaks. His heart jumps as she says his name, unable to fight off the grin on his face as he looks at her.

"Thanks, Clem." He tells her sincerely, grin slipping into a soft smile.

They move into the next round, Clementine flipping over her card to reveal the four of clubs. He reveals his own card, showing the Jack of spades.

"Nice change of pace, huh Clem? C'mon, hit me"

"Okay, let's see... The reason I miss my hat so much is because Lee gave it to me, I nearly died from a dog bite, and _you_ were _my_ first kiss."

"Oh, you're copying me now, are you?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, in that case I'll have to copy your answer then, because there's no way in hell I was your first kiss."

She smirks at his answer, shocking him by shaking her head no.

"You serious?"

"Yep. You were my first kiss."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Why are you so suprised?"

"Because you're, well, you? I would have thought you would have countless people trying to woo you over. I mean, what about that Gabe guy? Nothing ever happen there?"

"Nope. I guess you could say there was something between us, but, he never really acted on it."

"His loss" He tells her honestly.  
"So, what was the lie then? The dog bite?"

"No, that's also true." Clementine tells him, rolling up the sleeves to her shirt and holding her arm out to him. His eyes widen at the jagged scar that stretches across her forearm.

"Jesus, that looks like it hurt."

"Oh, it did."

"And it nearly killed you? How deep was it?"

"It was fairly deep. The problem was blood loss, as I didn't have any medical supplies and was on my own when it happened.  
I was only eleven at the time. I had just been split up from a close friend when I came across this camp with a dog in it.He was friendly at first, until food became involved. The dog tried to steal all the food, I tried to stop it and then-" Clementine gestures to her arm, the meaning clear.

"Thats why you were so scared of Rosie when you first met her..."

"Yeah, you tend to get a bit wary after an experience like that."

"You were on your own? At eleven years old? How did you get it patched up?"

"It was a struggle, that's for sure. I ran into some people not long after, but I passed out from the blood loss. They thought the dog bite was a walker bite and didn't know what to do with me, so they locked me in a shed over night to see if I would turn."

"Jesus! Could they really not tell the difference between a dog bite and a walker bite?"

"Apparently not. I knew I wouldn't make it overnight, so, uh... I kind of... Snuck out and stole some of their medical supplies to patch myself up." Clementine admits guiltily, eyes darting from the bed to him.  
"That's actually where I met AJ's parents, Rebecca and Alvin. They were part of the group there. Rebecca was already fairly along in her pregnancy when I met her."

Louis nods slowly, taking in the information. He can't even begin to imagine the amount of stories Clementine has locked away, of the life she has led thus far. If he's lucky, she'll share them all with him some day.

"So, why do you miss that hat so much? That was the lie, right?"

"Lee didn't give me the hat. I actually had the hat before all this started. It's grown with me... My dad was the one that gave it to me, its... It _was_ the only thing I had left of him. He gave it to me before they went on vacation, told me to look after it for him. That's when the walker outbreak started, and I never got to give it back to him."

Clementine reaches forward to grab another card from the deck, clearly wanting to move onto the next subject. He draws his own card, revealing the other side the same time she does. Clementine has the three of diamonds, and he has the nine of diamonds.

"Well, well, well. How the tables have turned" Louis teased, placing the card back down in the pile that was steadily growing. Clementine does the same, blowing a quick puff of air to push away a curl of hair that had dropped in front of her face.

"I'm originally from Georgia, I like both girls and boys, and I'm not ticklish"

"C'mon, Clem. At least give me a challenge!" He tells her with a grin, feeling confident in his answers.  
"You're definitely from Georgia. It's subtle, but I can still hear a twang of the accent in your voice, so that's not the lie"

"Okay, you got me on that one. And the others?"

"You liking both boys and girls? You're pretty obviously Bi, Clem."

"Bi?"

"Yeah. Y'know, bisexual?"

"Oh, I never knew there was a name for it. Wait, how am I obvious?"

"You think I'm blind, Clem? I've seen you check Violet out once or twice."

Clementines face darkness considerably, grabbing the pillow once more to hide her face in it, groaning in embarrassment.

"So, by power of deduction, that leaves you not being ticklish the lie. And there's a pretty easy way to test that theory"

"What do you-- Louis!" Clementine squeaks his name in suprise when he suddenly darts forward, burying his hands into her sides. Clementine erupts into a fit of giggles as he tickles her, Louis joining in her laughter at the sound.

"Okay! Okay, you got me!" She barely manages to get out past her giggles, swatting away his hands to get him to stop. He complies, leaning back with a childish grin.

Louis simply watches her for a bit, studying her as she shifts back into a comfortable position after his sudden ambush. She notices his stare, tilting her head and frowning in confusion, though she still has a slight smile on her face.

"What?"

He has to tell her. He has to. She needs to know.

"Mind if I go next?" He asks, already pushing the cards away from them. This only confuses her more, but she nods for him to continue.

His heart begins pounding in his chest, swallowing past the lump in his throat as he prepared himself for what he's about to say.

"Meeting you is the best thing that has ever happened to me" He begins, leaning forward slightly, watching as her eyes widen at the sudden serious topic.

"Now that you're here, I can't imagine living my life without you." He continues to lean towards her, keeping his gaze locked with hers as she stares right back, noticing how she had started breathing a bit quicker.

"And I've fallen in love with you." He finishes in a whisper, his heart jumping in his chest at his own confession.

He had stopped moving towards her, just a few inches away from her face, taking in her reaction to his words. She had frozen in place, a wide eyed 'deer caught in the headlights' look, mouth slightly agape.

"You... You love me?"

He wasn't too sure if that was her answer for his lie, or if she was just asking.

"Sorry, kind of cheated on that one. None of them are lies."

"You love me..."

His words seem to be finally sinking in, feeling slightly anxious by her reaction. Perhaps he was putting to much pressure on her by telling her this, it was obviously overwhelming.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same, I completly understand-"

He blinks, and suddenly she's kissing him, her hand placed on the back of his neck, fingers desperately threaded through his hair, pulling him closer to her. He smiles against her lips, bringing his own hand up to rest on her waist.

She pulls away from him, and he chuckles at the look on her face once he opens his eyes.

"Oh, hey! That's the dazed look you were talking about"

"I just... You love me? You really love me?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. And honesty, it scares me how much I do."

"I... I don't really know how to explain how I feel... I'm not exactly used to this..." She chuckles nervously, running a hand through her hair.

"Its okay, I-"

"But, I think... I think I'm falling in love with you, too"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where do you even find these?" She asks in amusement as he stands proudly by her bedside, pair of crutches in his arms.

"I could have sworn the school had an old pair of crutches somewhere in the basement, just in case we broke a leg doing something stupid, like-"

"Like racing up the bell tower?"

"Exactly!"

She laughs at his response, eyeing the crutches he was holding nervously.

"Come on, Clem. Just give them a try. Don't you wanna go outside in the sunshine? Stretch your legs--uh, leg?"

Clementine snorts, pushing herself up, and turning to sit on the edge of the bed. She gingerly takes the crutches for him, looking uncertain.

"Here, I'll help you to stand, then lean on me whilst you use the crutches. Then I'll step back and you try and walk towards me."

He places his hand under her arm for support as she stands wobbly, immediately leaning into his side for support, unused to having one leg carry all the weight. She adjusts the crutches under her arms, and he feels her weight leave him, now relying on the crutches.

"You ready?"

"Ready" She confirms, face set in determination.

He steps back slowly, giving her the option to grab back on if she's unsure. Other than a slight wobble, she stands on her own.

"There you go! Way to go, Clem!" He cheers her, Clementine rolling her eyes at the praise.

"Im just standing, Louis"

"So? It's still a victory! Take every one as they come."

Clementine smiles softly as this, though her face quickly returns to concentration as she stares down at the crutches. She take a deep breath in, lifting the crutch to take her first step. She immediately loses her balance, the sudden change in balance causing her to stumble forwards.

Louis is there though, stepping forward so she collides into his front instead of the floor. He grabs hold of her arms, lifting her up and helping her to stand.

"Whoa, Clem. When you said you were falling for me, I didn't think you meant like that"

"Very funny" She mumbles, pushing against his arms to stand back up.

"You'll get there, Clem. Just gotta keep practicing."

"Sure..."

"Hey" He begins softly, ducking his head slightly to match her bowed head.  
"You'll do it. I believe in you. You'll be walking in no time."

"I don't know..."

"Trust me, you will. I promise. In fact, I pinky--uh..." He had lifted his left hand, only to be met with the sight of his missing finger. He quickly drops his hand, raising his other hand up to her.  
"I pinky promise."

Clementine smiles fondly at him, shifting the crutch under her arm as she lifts her hand, wrapping her little finger around his.

"You're still such a dork"

"Yeah, but you love dorks"

"I suppose I do"

He could happily stand here all day, just looking at her smile. Except he's got lookout duty in a few minutes that he can't miss.

"I've got to go out on lookout duty. Are you okay on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"AJ should be back from fishing soon. Maybe you could surprise him, walk outside?"

"That sounds like a nice idea... I'll keep practicing a bit before I go out. Maybe I'll do better without you here to distract me"

"Distract you, huh? I never knew the power of my charmingly good looks were so strong..."

"Louis?"

"Yes, Clem?"

"Get out"

Louis chuckles, taking a dramatic bow at her command.

"Right away, your majesty" He responds, standing back up and turning away, moving towards the door to the room

Clementine grabs onto the sleeve of his coat, turning him back towards her and placing a chaste kiss on his lips, then pushing him towards the door before he has a chance to take it all in.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The setting sun is warm on his face as he stands up on the watch tower, the autumn's gentle breeze blowing by.

He grins at the sight of Ruby and Aasim making their way back towards the school after a successful hunt, hare strewn over his shoulder and Aasims hands clasped with Ruby's.

He spots AJ not too far behind, sluggishly approaching the school gates with a bucket of fish, signifying the fishing trip had been successful. Ruby is at his heels, having become unseperable from the young boy (he was only slightly jealous).

He raises a hand in greeting to AJ, their return meaning it was the end of his watch shift. He waits until he sees them safely enter the gates before making his way down the ladder. He turns on the spot once he reaches the ground, taking in the courtyard with a pleased grin.

Ruby and Aasim are having a chat to themselves nearby, smiles plastered on their face. Louis waits until to Ruby heads off to the horse they had brought back before approaching Aasim, who is so focused on watching Ruby that he doesn't notice Louis approaching.

"What'cha lookin' at?"

Aasim jumps at his voice, spinning round to face Louis with a hand on his chest.

"Jesus, Louis! Don't do that!"

Louis laughs at the annoyed scowl Aasim gives him, stepping forward to stand next to him and playfully nudging Aasims shoulder with his own.

"I see you made your move." He teases Aasim, nodding his head towards Ruby.

Aasim simply smiles in response, shrugging his shoulders in mild embarrassment.

"I thought I'd take the advice of a close friend"

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah. Something about living in the moment and all that"

"Good. I'm happy for you guys."

Aasim gives him one last thankful smile before walking away, heading towards Ruby. Louis looks around the courtyard, spotting Violet sat by herself at one of their tables. He walks over to the table, taking a seat next to her.

Violets vision must have improved a bit, as she is able to tell not only that someone has sat down, but is able to recognise him.

"Thought you could use some company"

"Well, I _was_ enjoying some peace and quiet, but that appears to have been shattered."

"Ah, well, you know me"

"That I do, Louis. That I do"

The sound of a door opening interrupts their conversation, Louis turning in his seat to see who had come through the main doors. A proud smile comes to his face at the sight of Clementine carefully navigating the stairs, giving her an encouraging look when she successfully reaches the bottom.

"Is that Clementine?" Violet asks next to him, squinting in an effort to see as Clementine makes her way over to AJ who is placing down his haul next to Omar.

"Yeah, managed to dig out those old pair of crutches from the basement."

"Lucky you found them. Not sure how else she'd be able to get around..."

"Have you actually talked to her yet? Since she's woken up, I mean?" Louis asks Violet curiously, turning away to face Violet.

Violet looks down at her hands on the table, fiddling with them guiltily.

"No... I.... I don't know what to say, y'know? It's just that... I said some pretty awful things back on that boat."

Oh yeah, he did remember Violet trying to apologise to Clementine, back when they had escaped the boat. He never did really ask what happened between the two.

"You know what, Vi? I don't even know what you said, but I can guarantee that it doesn't matter. All Clementine cares about is that you're here, and that you're trying to patch things back up. She really did do everything she could to get you back, Vi. Get everyone back."

"I know that now, I just couldn't see it then, back on the boat. Minnie and Lilly, they... They really got into my head, had me convinced it was all Clementines fault. I was sure that if I helped her, you guys would end up dead, and I... I couldn't risk that.I know now it was stupid, that I should have helped. I mean, maybe things would be different if I did? You might not have lost your finger, I might not have lost my vision, and Tenn...He..."

"Hey, _none_ of that is on you. What happened, happened. There's nothing we can do to change that. What we _can_ do is help eachother to accept that, and move on."

Violet huffs, a small smile on her face as she lifts her gaze from her hands to meet his.

"When did _you_ get so wise?"

"Excuse you, I've always graced you guys with my brilliant ideas. Not my fault you chose to ignore them all"

"Well then, guess I'll have to start listening to you more"

"That you should. And you know what the first piece of advice I'm gonna give you is?"

"What?"

"Talk to Clementine" He tells her when he catches sight of Clementine and AJ approaching the table after Ruby had beckoned them over for dinner, scooting over on the bench to make room.

Clementine sits in the space he had created, and he helps her with her crutches when she struggles to remove them from under her arms, storing them nearby.

He heads over to Omar, helping the chef pour tonight's stew into bowls and handing them out to the occupants of the table, sitting back in his seat next to Clementine.

They waste no time, digging into the stew Omar had prepared for them. The herbs Ruby had collected from the greenhouse brought a new range of flavors to the dish, changing the usual bland taste they had gotten used to into something new.

Willy is smiling mischievously on the other side of the table, no doubt hatching a new scheme. Willy checks Omar isnt looking in his direction before bending the spoon back, releasing his grip and sending a chunk of... Something...Straight at Omar.

AJ is staring wide eyed at Omar, frozen as he waits for the chefs reaction. Willy isn't as worried, smirking up at Omar, seemingly pleased with his actions. Omar calmly places his spoon down on the table, giving Willy an unimpressed look before bursting into laughter, sending Willy and AJ into their own fit of giggles.

It seems like he's not the only one enjoying the food, judging by the burp that escapes Ruby. He hides his smirk behind the spoon he lifts to his mouth, deciding not to embarrass Ruby by calling her out.

He very nearly drops the spoon in surprise at the monster of a burp AJ releases in response, shocked that such a noise could come from such a small boy.

"Goddamn!" Aasim exclaims

Willy is set into another bout of laughter, the sound of his wheezing making it very difficult not to join in with their laughter.

"AJ" Clementine scolds, not at all pleased by his manners.

"What? It's good" AJ attempts to defend himself.

Willy slams down his bowl on the table after slurping down the last of his meal, stretching the bowl towards Omar with a satisfied grin.

"Seconds, please!"

"Already? You even taste that?"

Louis shakes his head fondly, bringing up another spoonful of stew to his mouth.

"How are your eyes?"

He freezes in his movements, spoon hovering just by his mouth at Clementines words, nervously awaiting Violets response.

"Between my patch and your stump, we almost make a full pirate"

He snorts into his stew, wincing when his exhale sends droplets of the stew straight into his eyes. AJ is watching him curiously over his own bowl, confused as to how Louis managed to get food into his eyes.

He keeps out of the conversation, instead just listening to Violets sincere apology to Clementine, feeling extremely relieved when Clementine is quick to accept it, comforting Violet and assuring her she has nothing to apologise for.

With dinner now eaten, he pushes his bowl over to the pile that had started to collect, standing from his seat and heading over to collect Clems crutches. She notices this, already pulling herself to her feet and giving him a thankful smile as he hands the crutches back over to her.

"Wanted to go over something with you, something that Aasim saw the other day"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Hes not too sure who they are, but he saw a group of people whilst hunting, they were camped outside a caravan that he assumes was theirs"

"Did they see him?"

"No, at least not that he's aware of"

"We should probably scout them out then, see what can we found out about them before we talk to them. They could be the 'shoot first, ask questions later' kind of group."

They reach another table slightly away from the others. Louis pulls Marlons map of the school out of his coat pocket, unfolding it and placing it down on the table.

"Thats where Aasim saw them. He was ranging out far past the traps, just here." He tells her, pointing along the main road that led east from the the school.

"I want you to go" Clementine tells him, studying the area of the map around where he was pointing to

"You're the boss"

"We need to see who they are, maybe even see if they're willing to trade. Just... Keep your distance until you can make a call"

"Who _who_ are?"

They turn their heads simultaneously to AJ who seemed to have appeared from thin air, head cocked slightly to the side as he looks to the map that's laid out across the table.

Clementine glances to AJ, then glances back to him, looking unsure as whether to tell AJ about the group. He nods his head slightly, encouraging her to tell him.

"A group of survivors, out beyond the old safe zone. Some kind of caravan."

"Are they bad people?"

Clementine doesn't know the answer to this, frowning sadly at AJ's question.

Time to jump in

"You... wanna come with me in the morning and find out?" He asks AJ, stepping around Clementine to stand in front of him.  
"I could definitely use the back up"

"No arguments there." Clementine adds from behind him.

Wow. Rude.

"Hey!"

"Aren't you still mad at me about Tenn?"

AJ's timid question catches him off guard, the pain of Tenns death still fresh in his mind.

"I... AJ I guess its like..." He sighs, struggling with the right words to say.  
"You saw something I didn't. About the situation, I mean.  
Minnie and the walkers and Tenn, its just all this chaos in my head when I think back on it."

He glances over at Clementine, who watches him speak with a worried frown.

"Clem said you saved my life? Well then that's exactly what you did. And how can I stay mad at someone for doing that?"

AJ suprises him once more by holding out his hand for a handshake. He's not entirely too sure where the kid would have learnt that, but he's more than happy to comply to AJ's wishes, giving his hand a firm shake. AJ has a small smile on his face, clearly relieved at Louis' words.

"This is the part where you tell me you'll be really careful." Clementine says anxiously, no longer looking too sure about sending him on this mission.

He assures her the best way he can; shooting her a kind smile and leaning forward to place a kiss on her cheek. It takes a lot of effort not to laugh at the look AJ gives him, practically hearing the kids internal sigh at the two of them.

Sensing Clementine and AJ needed a talk, he heads back over to Violet who is still sat at the table with Ruby and Omar.

"Everything okay?" Violet asks him once he sits down.

"Yeah, showed Clem where Aasim thinks he saw that group. Me and AJ are heading out there tomorrow morning, and hopefully we'll be able to scout them out, see what they're like."

"What for?"

"Clem says we might be able to trade with them. Aasim said there wasn't too many of them, so theyre probably not part of a big group. They're probably like us, just trying to get by." Louis explains, smiling at the sight of Aasim chasing Willy around the court yard, the younger boy whooping in excitement as he runs.

"We hope?" Violet asks, snapping him out of his slight daze

"Yeah... We hope... But we gotta try, right?"

Violet is saved from answering his question when he feels something fairly soft and light smack him in the back of the head, producing a high pitched 'thump' as it hits him. He glances down curiously at the object that hit him, realising it was the beachball AJ had found a few days ago.

"Oops"

He turns in his seat to face AJ behind him, the boy not looking the slightest bit guilty for hitting him with the ball. Louis smirks in return, picking up the ball and fighting down every bit of instinct he has to bop the ball back off his head.

"Can we play that game of catch now? Please?" AJ begs, bouncing on the spot in excitement.

"Hell yeah we can play catch! Ever heard of 'Don't drop the ball'?"

"No? But I'm guessing you don't drop the ball?"

Guess the title is pretty self explanatory...

"You got it! All you have to do it hit the ball back and forth, but you can't let it touch the ground! See how many times you can pass it before it does. Ready?"

"Ready!"

Louis throws the ball up into the air, lightly smacking it in AJs direction. AJ has a look of sheer determination on his face, taking the game as seriously as anything else he's ever done in his life.

It's not long before others begin to join in, drawn into the game by AJ's delighted giggles as they played. They're stood in a spread out circle; himself, AJ, Aasim, Willy, Omar and Ruby all playing whilst Clementine and Violet sat by the stairs, watching the group fondly as they played.

He is, of course, the first one to mess up, fumbling with the ball and letting it fall to the floor. The group groan in annoyance when they lose their streak.

"You suck!" Violet shouts teasingly from her seat, Clementine giggling at the insult.

"Nuh-uh! _You suck_!" He fires back with a grin, hitting the ball in Violets direction.

He does it before he can think, regretting it the second the ball leaves his hands. He had completly forgotten...

But it doesn't matter.

Because Violet catches it.

She looks as suprised at herself as everyone else, staring at the beach ball in her hands in wonderment.

"I... I caught it..."

Theres a few seconds of shocked silence before it settles in. The group cheers in celebration, crowding round Violet for a group hug that Violet is clearly not too pleased about, disappearing under the huddle of people that surround her.

Louis stands off to the side as they hug Violet, shaking his head fondly at the sight. Clementine hobbles over to him, leaning into his side as she takes a rest from the crutches.

"You okay?" He asks, noticing how tired she looks.

"Yeah. Actually, I'm more than okay." She tells him, a warm smile on her face as she watches the group.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. All of this... Its... I never thought I'd get to have something like this."

"Like what?"

"A family of my own."

Louis beams at her words, wrapping an arm around her side and resting his head on hers, chuckling as Violet attempts to free herself from the group, everyone else refusing to let her out of the hug.

The group had changed drastically over the last few years. They had lost so many, whilst also gaining a few new family members along the way. Who knew that those they had gained would have such an impact on their lives, on _his_ life.

At the end of the day, they _were_ family. And so long as he has Clementine by his side, he knew there was nothing this life could throw their way that they wouldn't be able to handle.

They had to learn the hard way that people could be just as scary as the walkers, especially those with everything to lose. This world was certainly a dark one, with threats around every corner. But you know what? That didn't matter anymore. Because now?

Now he's found his light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this it it. The final chapter of Light. 
> 
> I just want to thank everyone that has taken the time to read this, and a massive thank you to all those that left such supportive comments. I honestly can't thank you enough. 
> 
> This is the last *official* chapter of Light, but I may do more as "alternative" chapters, things like that, as well as planning a possible sequel. But for the main story, this is it.
> 
> If you have any requests for one shots, alternative chapters etc please do put them in the comments! Or send me an ask/message on my tumblr @toxicgamer5679.
> 
> Again, thank you all a thousand times over for reading.


	18. Alternate Chapter: Bridge Scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Choice Changes:  
> Told AJ not to shoot Lilly  
> Told AJ he wasn't ready
> 
> As requested by Jau, this is a small alternative chapter on the bridge scene, where Louis dies.
> 
> It hurt me deeply to write this, so I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Big thanks to my friend Hodgesicle for helping me write this

Life in the apocalypse rarely goes to plan. Sometimes, no matter how much you plan, how careful you are, life will still find a way to throw a wrench into it, completly derailing all your efforts. There will be days where everything that could possibly go wrong, goes wrong

Today? Today was one of those days.

"TENN! Fucking MOVE!"

His shouts have no effect, Tenn still doing everything he can to get out of his hold, to get to his sister as she is pulled apart by the herd she had brought to do the exact same to them.

Her screams are muted in his head, focused solely on pulling Tenn away from the oncoming herd. Every second they stand on the bridge brings them closer to death. His arms tremble with the reminder, feeling the bridge shudder under his feet as the walkers inch closer and closer, decaying skin peeling away as it gets caught whilst they squeeze past eachother, hungrily reaching out for them.

He has no idea what to do, no idea what he _can_ do. There isn't enough time to convince Tenn to leave his sister, not before the walkers would reach them.

"Throw him!"

AJs idea is simple, one he should have throught of before. Tenn was going to leave the bridge, whether it was voluntarily or not. Tenn fights him the whole way, Louis wrapping his arm securely around the young boy and throwing with all his might. Time seems to slow as Tenn is in the air, and he breathes a sigh of relief when he makes it the other side, Clementine and AJ pulling him back up to his feet.

He frowns when he notices Clementine staring wide eyed at him, wondering what had caused such a reaction. That's when he feels the warm, rotting breath on his neck.

He had experienced a lot of pain, a lot of suffering in his life. He had felt his heart break as he watched his best friend collapse to the floor with a hole in his head.

He had felt immense shame when Clementine had saved him, knowing full well Violet deserved to be rescued instead of him.

He had felt physical pain, of watching a weapon that had numerous times saved his life slice through his finger.

This was a new pain. This was the feeling of his flesh being torn from bone, the feeling of rotten teeth sinking into muscle, of being able to physically hear his own body being torn apart.

This wasn’t just pain. It was _torture_.

But all of that? That was nothing, _nothing_ compared to seeing the look of despair on Clementines face, to being forced to listen to the voice that had once playfully called his name scream it in anguish.

'Oh fuck' , was his first thought. 'Fuck shit this _hurts_.' As he lay there unable to do nothing, all Louis could do was take it. Surely within seconds he would be nothing but another loss, another name on the long list of death that had fallen up the group

Why? Why did it have to be him?

Once the initial thought of what was happening had passed, Louis could only take his last moments to think.

And of course, what would a situation like this be without a little ol’ Louis humour. It wasn’t funny, but who couldn’t laugh at a time like this? Just had to be the gentleman huh? Having to save the kid before anyone else. Of course his doom would come as he saved someone else.

Maybe it was payback. Maybe it was for all the shitty things he’d done before. Before this moment, before the boat, before Ericsson.

Yeah, for that then, he kinda deserved it right?

Though that was a shot through the heart. Clems face was the most heartbreaking thing he could ever imagine to see. And not only had he seen it right before him, it was engraved right into his brain; even with his last dying breaths.

Oh fuck. Louis floats into nothing now. It’s like how they say. There’s nothing after death. Once the pain subsides, there’s nothing. Just black.

And the unsettling image of the face of the girl you’ve felt nothing but compassion for since you met her. No, not compassion. Love.

Of course. Upon his last dying moments, would Louis finally realise that he won’t ever get to see that smile, or hear that laugh, or feel the soft brush of her hand against his.

He won’t have awkward calm moments, or little truth or dare games. No more witty remarks or lively tunes of the piano.

No. Now all Louis had was nothing. And so did Clem.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

It was a surprisingly warm day, the last of the somewhat sunny days of Autumn before winter would hit them, and hit them hard.

It had taken a lot of convincing for the others to let Clementine go for a walk on her own. AJ insisted she would be breaking her own rule if she did that, but she assured him that she wouldn't be alone, as she would take Rosie with her.

Violet was equally as uncertain at first, worried about the prospect of Clementine encountering a walker, or perhaps even another human whilst outside the safety of the school. Something in Clementines voice gave her pause as she begged to go, eventually relenting to Clementines pleas.

It was something that had been eating away at Clementine for a while now. She wanted to prove she could still survive out here, even with her leg gone. She had to prove it not only to the others, but to herself. The familiar weight of her knife in her pocket gave her comfort as she walked, along with the pistol AJ had secured from Minnie back on the bridge. It was difficult, but she doesn't need two legs to shoot a gun.

Rosie padded along happily next to her, tongue lolled out from the side of her mouth as she pants away in the afternoon sun. They had been walking for about an hour now, and the discomfort was starting to kick in; under arms sore from the hard pressure of the crutch handles and remaining leg protesting at having to carry most of her weight as she walked.

The pain was getting to be to much, so she stopped to lean against a nearby tree, sighing in frustration that she had to stop. Rosie sits and whines, as unhappy as she was about having to take a break.

"I know, Rosie. We'll go soon." Clementine assures her softly, smiling through the pain at the sight of Rosies stubbed tail wagging happily along the floor.

Rosies demeanour suddenly changes, flattening her ears against her head and raising her lips in a snarl, growling at something in the distance. Clementine looks to where Rosie is staring menacingly, unable to see what she had spotted.

"What is it girl?"

Clementine stands from where she is leaning, cautiously heading towards whatever had spooked Rosie. Rosie stays by her side as they walk, muscles coiled and ready to spring into action if needed.

She hears it just barely over Rosie's snarls. It had yet to come into sight, but there was no doubt she was hearing the low growl of a walker somewhere within the forest. Her hands instinctively go to the gun in her pocket, drawing it out and slowly approaching.

It was like someone had taken her back in time, peering around a tree and welcomed by the sight of a walker hanging by its ankles, rope tied tightly around its feet as it swings from side to side.

_Hey, it's like a walker piñata_

Louis' voice echoes in her head, the memory of that day bringing a small sad smile to her face. They never did get that next round of batting practice...

Rosies snarl comes to an arubt stop, and Clementine glances down at her to see what had stopped her from snarling. Her ears are still pinned back with her gaze focused on the walker, but now small whines are escaping her throat, shuffling her paws as she stands.

"What's wrong-"

Clementine had glanced back at the walker as she spoke, unable to figure out what had Rosie so upset. She stopped in her sentence, gun slipping from her hands and to the ground with a gentle thud, illiciting another whine from Rosie.

She hadn't noticed from this distance, solely focused on the danger the walker presented. Its skin was barely hanging on, being torn apart from the seams with patches of bone visible, making it hardly recognisable as a human.

That's not what she recognised though. It was the tattered and torn trench coat, now darkly colored from blood that had long since soaked and dried into its material.

"Louis..."

His name escapes her lips in a whisper, fearing she'll break down if she says it any louder. It was very 'Louis' of him to make his way home and get himself caught in the damn traps.

_I think I can handle myself. I'm practically a ninja. Skilled in the craft of martial arts._

Clementine moves closer without thinking, trapped in her daze at the sight of him there, dangling. Except... Except it wasn't _him_. Not really, not anymore. The Louis she knew ceased to exist back on that bridge.

A twig snaps noisily under her foot as she walks, the sudden noise attracting his attention. His muted growls stutter momentarily before rising in volume, eyes fixated on Clementine as she continues to walk towards him.

His rotting hands reach out sluggishly towards her. The few patches of skin that hadn't been torn off were soaked in blood, congealed and dark as it dries. Clementine swallows past the lump in her throat as his fingers twitch weakly, catching sight of the space where his little finger once was.

_Well, you can play just as well with nine and a half_

"Oh, Lou" She whispers weakly, blinking furiously at the tears that burned in her eyes.  
"Why... Why did it have to be you?"

His only response is further groaning, jaw shifting and yellowed teeth chattering together. His once kind and warm chocolate eyes were now glazed over and paled, staring blankly at her.

Those eyes that had once looked at her with such adoration, such _love_. The way he would squint them happily whenever something made him smile, or when he was trying to make someone else smile, as he usually did.

_Everyone hears the jokes, the piano, and after that, they stop listening. You didn't._

James had tried so hard to convince her that there was something to the walkers. That maybe, just maybe, the person they once was was still in there. Looking at what remains of Louis now, she cant see it.

Those hands that once produced beautiful music, that would tenderly grasp her own hands were now just bony appendages trying to pull her closer to feed.

That mouth that once cracked jokes and sung at every opportunity, lips that was soft and warm against her own were now peeling away, teeth clashing together in excitement at the prospect of a meal.

If Louis was in there, even a small part of him, she knew this wasn't a life he wanted, to forever roam and be a danger to the rest of them. She knew he would rather die than to risk those he cares about. Because that's exactly what he did.

Clementines hands shakily reach into her pocket, pulling out her knife and holding it by her side, unprepared for what she knows is right.

"It was foolish of me. To give into the hope. The hope that maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't be the one to go, the one that wouldn't leave me."

She raises the knife to his head, Louis' corpse twitching and shifting as he hung in space, aggrevated at Clementine being so close, but unable to reach her. She can barely see him through the tears that cloud her vision, sobs catching in her chest.

"But I did. And I really thought you would be the one."

_If there's a lesson to be learned here, Clementine, it's that nothing lasts._

Her breathing quickens, body beginning to shake with the grief, gritting her teeth as she tries to force herself to do what she needs to do.

_Not friends_

Brody slipping to the ground, blood pouring down her face, head split open.

  
AJ's bullet tearing through Marlons forehead, his body collapsing lifelessly into her arms.

  
Violet knocked unconscious, taken away in the carts. Waking up on the boat and being forced to pin Violet against the wall as Violet chokes and glares at her in hatred.

  
James' proud smile at AJ just before the knife enters his back, choking on his own blood as he calls out to her.

_Not love_

 

_You're not dead. That's good_

_Now Clem here? That's an A. A-plus, even_

_So...Ever, uh...Ever have a boyfriend?_

_There's only one guarantee; this moment. That's the only thing you got, only thing any of us got. Might as well enjoy it._

_Can't say no to a face like that_

_Missed you too_

_And Clem? Thank you. For everything_

_Figured out what to call the song. Clementine, obviously. Y'know, because I like fruit. And I like you even more, so, there._

_Really? Have you met you? End of the world or not, someone would have at least tried to sweep you off your feet_

_I... I can't tell if I feel more focused or less_

_I think I have some idea..._

_Like the ninjas WE are_

_Be careful_

_Thought I lost you_

_Longest damn minute of my life_

_We get back to the school, we are building that house._

Tears are streaming down her face now, watching as his murky eyes sluggishly meet her own, groaning feebily at the knife placed against his skull.

_Nothing_

Clementine closes her eyes and turns her head away, no longer able to bare his barren stare. She pushes forward, feeling the knife easily slide through his skull.

Louis falls silent.


End file.
